NATHROP, Colorado — A man’s decision to soak outside in a hot tub was not the relaxing experience he expected.
A mountain lion clawed the man in the head as he sat in the in-ground hot tub late Saturday night at a rental home in a heavily wooded area, according to a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The man was lucky enough to escape with four superficial scratches on the top of his head and near his right ear. But the incident resulted in wildlife officials launching a search for the mountain lion. The animal had not been found as of Tuesday morning.
According to wildlife officials, the attack occurred around 8 p.m. Saturday as the man and his wife sat in the hot tub at the home in Chaffee County. The man felt something grab his head, causing him and his wife to begin screaming and splashing water at the mountain lion.
Authorities say the victim’s wife grabbed a flashlight and they were able to identify the animal as a mountain lion. The light and commotion caused the mountain lion to retreat about 20 feet, but the couple continued to scream at it. After a short time, it moved to the top of a hill near some rocks, where it crouched down and continued to watch the couple.
National Park Service via AP
This undated photo released by the National Park Service shows the adult female mountain lion P-65.Â
“We think it’s likely the mountain lion saw the man’s head move in the darkness at ground-level but didn’t recognize the people in the hot tub,” said Sean Shepherd, area wildlife manager. “The couple did the right thing by making noise and shining a light on the lion. Although this victim had only minor injuries, we take this incident seriously.”
The couple was able to return to the rental house, where the man was able to clean the wounds himself and did not require medical assistance, wildlife officials say. Officers were able to determine the wounds were consistent with the claw of a mountain lion.
The couple called the property’s owner, who works for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the owner alerted authorities.
The attack Saturday is the first reported attack by a mountain lion on Colorado since Feb. 27, 2022, according to wildlife officials. It is only the 24th attack in the state causing an injury since 1990. Three attacks since 1990 were fatal.
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