COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Parks and Wildlife has released a four-part, educational video series on mountain lions.
CPW Director Dan Prenzlow said this video series was produced to tell the history of the mountain lion and discuss living with lions in our growing state.
“Mountain lions are a fascinating yet elusive animal, but when they do pop on the radar they make for big headlines,” Prenzlow said. “Sightings of mountain lions are increasing and we’ve had a couple high-profile attacks in the last two years. Thanks to sound management practices implemented over the years, mountain lions are doing quite well in Colorado. The challenge going forward will be balancing decreasing habitats and our exploding human populations, since we share the same spaces. This video series is meant to lay that all out.”
“We’re trying to present our mountain lion research in an informative manner that is accessible and interesting to the public and not in a dry, boring research pape," Mat Alldredge, wildlife researcher for CPW and leading expert on mountain lions said.
The video series is available on YouTube.
Episode 1 - Mountain lion biology and historical perspective
Episode 2 - Mountain lion habitat and human expansion
Episode 3 - Hunting
Episode 4 - What to do if you encounter a mountain lion
CPW said one focus of the series is the protection and management of mountain lions.
According to the agency, in 1965 the mountain lion came to be viewed as a valued member of Colorado’s wildlife community after decades of persecution and unregulated take. The Colorado Wildlife Commission changed the status of mountain lions from predator to game mammal and started protecting and managing them. Hunting seasons were established to regulate harvest to ensure populations were sustainable, allowing the species to recover.
CPW estimates there are between 3,800 to 4,400 independent/mature mountain lions, not including dependent young, in Colorado.
