On Tuesday, February 14, 2006, a mountain lion was spotted near Daniel’s Gate.  The large cat was seen slinking through the grass on the northwest side of Monarch Boulevard between the Daniel’s Gate subdivision and Rocky Heights Middle School.  Other sightings have also been reported in the same area.

Mountain lions are most active between dusk and dawn, although the sighting Tuesday occurred in mid-afternoon.  The best way to evade a confrontation with a mountain lion is to make noise, alerting the animal to human presence.  Typically, mountain lions want to avoid contact with people.

Castle Pines North is surrounded by open space which is inhabited by many wild animals including deer, elk, and other prey of mountain lions.  While open space is one of the community’s draws, it does require residents to use precaution when entering a wildlife habitat.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife offers these tips to avoid a run-in with mountain lions when they enter a residential area:

• Install outside lighting.
• Closely supervise children whenever they play outdoors.
• Landscape or remove vegetation to eliminate hiding places for the animals.
• Plant non-native shrubs and plants that deer do not like to eat.
• Keep pets under control – roaming pets are easy prey.
• Avoid feeding any wildlife, including deer.
• Store all garbage securely.

To report a mountain lion sighting, or for more information, contact the Colorado Division of Wildlife at 303-291-7369 or visit www.wildlife.state.co.us.