by Denver Suburbs Expert
Living in Northeast Boulder, Colorado for 17 years has provided us with a lot of unexpected excitement due to the wildlife in the area. At night coyotes near Twin Lakes mournfully howl, singing a song to remind us they are out there looking for a tasty morsel, usually someone’s poor pet who happily got out for the night. One would think this area, about 7 miles from the mountains, would be a place where domestic pets would roam unharmed.
The Red Fox Hills neighborhood has 115 homes and is surrounded by miles of open space and undeveloped land, tucked between the Boulder Country Club area and suburban Boulder, this small development has had its share of wild animal visitors including mountain lions, coyotes and Red Foxes.
Two mountain lion sightings have been reported in the last year and one particular young female lion
decided to make her home in the back yard of our neighbor just a block away. The spot she picked was a play structure used by some of the young boys in the neighborhood that was made of leaves and some spare lumber.
When the lioness was sighted in the neighborhood a call would be made to the Department Of Wildlife and when they arrived the lioness would jump the 6 foot fences throughout the neighborhood and run away, much to the dismay of the DOW officers that were trying to capture her. She liked her new home so well she kept coming back. This of course made everyone a little nervous, its’ not every day a mountain lion casually walks around your neighborhood! This happened several times until the DOW was finally able to get close enough to shoot her with a tranquilizer gun.
She weighed 160 pounds which is appropriate for a young lion and would weigh in at about 190 pounds when she is full grown. Her coat was smooth and beautiful her teeth and claws were awesome! What a beautiful creature.
The DOW officers picked her up and put her into a cage to be transported to a mountain range near the Wyoming border where she could find a playmate and a better home.
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A fascinating story! As we realize the precariousness of wildlife around us, we need to push them back into their own territory rather than encouraging them to stay on in our territory.
Great story. It reminds all of us that we need to be proactive and not create an environment that attracts wildlife, but one that keeps it at bay.
Remove food sources and prevent animals from entering your home through vents and chimneys. Prevention is the key to resolving wildlife conflicts.
Great ideas! Most animals come into neighborhoods to find food and are often times killed by people other than DOW personnel. Calling the DOW before any action is taken will often time save the animal and make the area safe.
Subject: Longmont LifeBridge Church update
The Longmomt City Council voted to hold a special election in January to let Longmont residents decide whether to give the LifeBridge Christian Church project a go ahead to proceed. Previously, the council had voted to annex the property, but opponents collected enough signatures in a petition drive to force the City Council
to reconsider.
Critics say the project would cost the city more money in services than it would receive in property tax revenues due to the current tax exempt status. There are too many questions that need to be answered before this
project can move forward. The church has already been approved in Weld County and many opponents of the project think that they should build there and let Weld County provide services.
We’ve had alot of run-in’s with mountain lions lately around here as the burbs push out into rural areas.
What a great story with a happy ending. Young cougars just leaving their mother’s range often get into some tight situations. Very nice to see her relocated instead of shot on sight, which happens way too often.
i understand that these wild animals can be dangerous to young people around the area but we are the ones who took away their homes. their land. their natural surroundings. we shouldnt be taking them away from whar they have grown up to known. we never should have done this in the first place. i do understand that you guys are doing the best thing for them right now to innsure that no one especially the animals are hurt. but we never should have to do this in the first place because we shouldnt be taking away evverything that these magnificant animals know.
Amazing story. Here is another one about a fox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMq9fNQKTXM&feature=youtu.be