As I continue to look into the mountain lion concerns of our community, it seems as if reports, sightings, and attacks have dwindled since the killing of a cat on December 27 in the Rollinsville area.

At the end of December, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Sam Peterson shared more information about recent mountain lion conflicts.

Statement from Peterson: “We do not know if it is the same cat that has been causing issues in the area. However, it was exhibiting similar behavior. It has been taken to the State Veterinary Wildlife Health Lab for a necropsy. Please continue to take precautions to avoid conflict with mountain lions. I also wanted to address many of your concerns that CPW has been ignoring this issue and not doing anything to help mitigate and avoid conflicts. Thank you to the residents who reached out to me directly to bring this miscommunication to my attention.

“Over the past month or so, CPW officers have spent a lot of time in the Nederland/Gilpin areas responding to mountain lion conflicts. Officers set traps for lions causing conflicts three times in the area and offered a trap a fourth time but it was not set.

“Additionally, I led an educational program that many of you attended to learn more about coexisting with mountain lions. I believe this program was a success because since that program there have been no direct conflicts (sightings only) reported to CPW in the area where most of the attendees were from (Magnolia/Nederland).

“To me, that means that many of the residents in those areas took CPW’s advice to heart and made changes to their daily routines to avoid conflicts with lions, which I am immensely grateful for. A few days ago I spent time with Wild Bear Nature Center teaching children about avoiding conflicts with lions. I also spent many hours at night driving around Magnolia/Lazy Z attempting to locate mountain lions in the area that may have been causing issues and had conversations/conducted sight visits with residents to talk about how they could alter their properties to mitigate lion conflict.

“I apologize that many of you felt that you were left to fend for yourselves. To help remedy this, I’m starting a new Google Group for Nederland area residents to join: https://groups. google.com/g/nedcpw?fbclid=IwA R3fWHX3qHaIuiYF4D3Rkcn4VoA 8zgsqu7mm4v_SlmW_s0zufV0JJ XX61CM. I understand not all people who are interested in this are on social media, so please share the link throughout the community. In order to keep it local, when you request to join please include the general area you live in (ex. Hurricane Hill, Magnolia) and the name of the large reservoir that sits on the east edge of Nederland in your request. This platform will be used to share information, and will not be a discussion or reporting platform.

“Please continue to report wildlife conflicts to 303-291-7227 or 303-239-4501 after hours.

“Additionally, this group will only involve updates from 1 or 2 local officers between Coal Creek Canyon and Lefthand Canyon (Game Management Unit 29). Thank you all for voicing your concerns, I will continue to do my best to serve your community and look forward to working with you.”

“Further information came through Statewide Public Information Officer Joseph Livinston.

“Mountain lions are large predatory animals that, while primarily feeding on deer and elk, will take pets like dogs and cats if they are left outside alone. Deer are wild animals that have thousands of years of behavioral adaptations to help them avoid predation and can be tougher to hunt than domesticated pets. Once lions learn that pets can provide a relatively easy meal, they are more likely to continue pursuing that food source. People living in areas with mountain lions must take precautions to avoid encounters between lions and their pets.”

Here’s a reminder of CPW’s informational meeting held last month for residents of Nederland:

• Do not attract or feed wildlife by leaving food or trash near your home.

• Keep pets close and on a leash when possible.

• Check the surrounding area before letting pets outside between dusk and dawn.

• Make noises as you open your door to let the lion know they are not welcome.

• Make the mountain lions feel uncomfortable around your home by changing the lighting and turning on the radio.

• If you see or encounter a mountain lion, call your local wildlife office immediately to report the incident. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a thorough tracking and monitoring system to keep tabs on mountain lion behavior throughout the state.

We can all agree that this has not been an easy situation. Let’s hope those that have lost pets have found some peace, those that have been injured are healing quickly, and all humans realize the importance of never letting your guard down.

It’s equally vital to work together within the community and with the officials that can provide us with resources and aid. To report wildlife conflicts call 303-291-7227 or after hours at 303-239-4501.