A resident in Colorado captured the moment a mountain lion growled to prevent an intruder from approaching its freshly caught prey.
The mountain lion appears angry for being disturbed while tearing apart the moose. (Photo: Charles Zelekna)
Charles Zelekna was observing from his window when he heard noises outside his home in Glenwood Springs early on January 6. Zelekna went outside but couldn’t see anything due to the darkness, so he decided to go back to bed. Shortly after lying down, he heard more noises. He turned on the porch light and looked out the front door. Zelekna was surprised to see an injured moose pushing against his porch.
Initially, Zelekna thought the moose had been hit by a car and was dying as it crawled closer to the porch. However, just as he was about to step outside to check, a mountain lion suddenly emerged from beneath the moose and began tearing into its flesh. The big cat growled, forcing Zelekna to step back. Once the mountain lion moved away, Zelekna checked the moose and discovered it had been dead for a while, with a fatal bite to its neck.
The homeowner woke up at 6 AM the next morning to find the mountain lion had returned for a late-night meal. Zelekna had to call wildlife authorities to have the moose carcass removed from near his home. He felt regretful about having to do so, as the mountain lion could have eaten more.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency stated they could not donate the moose meat because the carcass had been outside in the cold for too long. The following night, Zelekna saw the mountain lion roaming freely on the driveway to his house. Security camera footage showed the lion wandering around the yard looking for the moose carcass.
Mountain lions typically hunt moose in the western regions of North America. In some areas, moose are a preferred prey for mountain lions along with various other deer species. Mountain lions are ambush hunters that specialize in attacking prey from where they are concealed. They often stash their kills and return to feed on them later.
