Three mountain lion kittens were recently spotted near The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, offering a rare look at one of Colorado’s most elusive predators in the heart of Beaver Creek Mountain.
The sighting occurred near the luxury ski-in, ski-out resort in Bachelor Gulch, an area surrounded by forest, hiking terrain and wildlife habitat on Beaver Creek Mountain.
While seeing three young mountain lions together is unusual for most visitors, the size of the group itself is not surprising. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says females generally produce two or three young, with most births occurring between April and July.
The kittens’ mother may not necessarily be visible when young lions are spotted. CPW research cited in the state’s mountain lion management plan says kittens typically remain with their mother for 12 to 18 months before becoming independent.
Mountain Lions Are Well Established in Colorado
Colorado has one of the West’s healthy mountain lion populations.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimates approximately 3,800 to 4,400 independent mountain lions live statewide, a figure that does not include kittens. The agency says mountain lions are particularly associated with the western part of the state, where large areas of suitable habitat remain.
Mountain lions are most abundant in areas with cover and plentiful deer. Their preferred Colorado habitats include foothills, canyons, wooded areas and brushy mountain terrain. Deer make up a major portion of their diet.
Those characteristics make Colorado mountain communities natural lion habitat, even when homes, hotels, trails and ski resorts have been built into the landscape.
Mountain lions can maintain enormous territories. CPW says home ranges can vary from roughly 10 to 370 square miles, depending on sex, terrain and food availability. Females raising young generally occupy the smaller ranges.
They are also remarkably difficult to see. Lions generally avoid humans and are most active between dusk and dawn, although they can travel and hunt during daylight. Cameras around homes and trails frequently record animals that residents never see in person.
Unofficial Networks recently covered a mountain biker’s close encounter with a mountain lion near Telluride. In that case, authorities believed the rider surprised a lion concealed near a popular trail.
What To Do If You Encounter a Mountain Lion
Mountain lion encounters with people are uncommon, but knowing how to react is particularly important when recreating in Colorado mountain communities.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife recommends several precautions:
- Never approach a mountain lion, particularly one that is feeding or accompanied by kittens.
- Do not run. Face the animal, remain upright and slowly create distance while leaving the lion an escape route.
- Make yourself look larger by raising your arms or opening your jacket.
- Keep children close and pick up small children or pets without turning your back on the lion.
- If a lion acts aggressively, wave your arms, speak firmly and throw objects if necessary.
- If attacked, fight back rather than playing dead.
- Hike in groups when possible, make noise and keep dogs on a short leash.
- Be particularly alert around dawn and dusk.
CPW also recommends avoiding areas where a lion may be feeding. A deer carcass that has been dragged into cover and partially buried under leaves, needles, dirt or snow can be a sign of a mountain lion kill. Lions often return to a carcass for several days.
Pet owners have additional reason to be cautious. CPW advises supervising pets whenever they are outdoors, especially around dawn and dusk, keeping dogs leashed and bringing pets inside at night. Leaving pet food outside can also attract wildlife.
Unofficial Networks previously covered a series of mountain lion attacks on pets in Colorado that prompted officials to urge owners to take additional precautions.
Give the Kittens Space
Seeing mountain lion kittens in the wild can be an extraordinary experience, but it is not an invitation to get closer for a photograph.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises people who encounter young wildlife to observe quietly from a distance, avoid touching or moving the animals and keep dogs leashed.
That advice is particularly important with mountain lions. Even if three kittens appear to be alone, their mother may still be using the surrounding area.
For visitors to Beaver Creek and Bachelor Gulch, the sighting is also a reminder that the ski resort sits inside a much larger Rocky Mountain ecosystem. The chairlifts, hotels and trails may be familiar territory to people, but they remain mountain lion country too.
