A Boulder resident, Juan Gutierrez, had a tense encounter with a mountain lion while walking his dog late Thursday night. Gutierrez, 31, initially thought his dog mistook the large cat for another small dog and seemed unfazed. But when the mountain lion started moving closer, Gutierrez took action.
As the animal approached, Gutierrez began by yelling and flashing a light, hoping to scare it off. When that didn’t stop the mountain lion, he kicked the animal, which caused it to appear dazed. Gutierrez and his dog were then able to back away slowly without any injuries.
He suspects this mountain lion might be the same one sighted in the area earlier in the week. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers responded to the scene but, after searching, were unable to locate the animal. Fortunately, both Gutierrez and his dog emerged unharmed from the encounter, but the incident serves as a reminder of the potential wildlife dangers near Boulder’s trails and neighborhoods.
