A man was attacked by a mountain lion while he was sitting in a hot tub in Colorado, prompting a search by authorities for the wildcat after the animal left scratches on the man’s head.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife issued a press release saying that a man was attacked in his head by a mountain lion while he was trying to relax with his wife near Nathrop Colorado around 8:20 p.m.
The man told officers that he felt something grab him while sitting in the hot tub. However, before the victim’s wife could get a flashlight to shine on the animal they started screaming at one another and splashing water.
He suffered four cuts to his head and ears but refused to seek medical attention. Officers on the scene said that the scratches looked like a mountain lion.
Authorities believe that the wild animal did not see hot tub users and attacked them.
Sean Shepherd is the local wildlife manager. He stated that the mountain lion likely recognized the people in a hot tub but only saw the man’s head at ground level.
Shepherd stated that the couple made noise and shined a light on the lion. Shepherd also said that they will continue to monitor lion activity.
Wildlife officers were unable to locate mountain lion tracks due to the frozen snow. The officers began a hunt for the mountain lion. However, due to the close proximity to a subdivision and a resort complex with hot springs, they decided to not use tracking dogs.
This attack was the first by a mountain lion in Colorado in over a year. The previous attack was in February 2022.
Officials claim that one trap was set nearby in an attempt to capture the lion.
