BOULDER, Colo. — A mountain lion entered a Boulder home and killed a house cat, police said.
The Boulder Police Department tweeted that the mountain lion entered the unoccupied residence, located in the 400 block of Marine Street, through a screen door sometime Thursday night.
Last night, a mountain lion entered a home on Marine St through a screen door, No people were injured but a house cat was killed. Please keep ground level doors and windows closed and locked at night and when you are not home. (This is also good advice for bears and burglars.) pic.twitter.com/cGseNpx2LI
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) August 10, 2018
When wildlife officers arrived at 11:30 p.m., they decided the best way to get the mountain lion out of the house was to use non-lethal bean-bag rounds to fire at it in an attempt to chase it out the front door, according to a release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. After more than an hour, officers were successful in getting the mountain lion out of the house.
CPW said they will have additional wildlife officers in the area Friday and over the weekend to make sure the mountain lion does not return.
Officers reminded residents to keep ground-level doors and windows closed and locked at night. They also issued the following tips on reducing your risk of injury if you encounter a mountain lion.
- Make lots of noise if you come and go during the times mountain lions are most active: dusk to dawn.
- Install outside lighting. Light areas where you walk so you could see a lion if one were present.
- Supervise children while playing outdoors. Talk with children about lions and teach them what to do if they meet one.
- Landscape or remove vegetation to eliminate hiding places for lions, especially around children’s play areas. Make it difficult for lions to approach unseen.
- Planting non-native shrubs and plants that deer often prefer to eat encourages wildlife to come on to your property. Predators follow prey. Don’t feed any wildlife!
- Keep your pets under control. Roaming pets are easy prey and can attract lions. Bring pets in at night. If you leave your pet outside, keep it in a kennel with a secure top. Don’t feed pets outside; this can attract raccoons and other animals that are eaten by lions. Store all garbage securely.
- Keep doors and windows closed and locked at night and when you’re not home. Install extra-sturdy doors if you have a freezer, refrigerator, pet food, bird seed, or other attractants in your garage. Install bars around windows or screens where predators can easily break in through.
- Encourage your neighbors to follow these simple precautions.