Wildlife officers remove mountain lion from underneath a deck in Englewood

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers relocated a mountain lion late Thursday night that was found under a deck at a residence near South Broadway St. and East Oxford Ave.

Around 9 p.m. Thursday, wildlife officers were able to tranquilize the mountain lion to remove it from underneath the resident’s deck. That lion was released Friday morning in more appropriate habitat in Douglas County.

The 60-pound female mountain lion was estimated to be two-years-old and was in good body condition. 

“The reason we chose to go hands on with this mountain lion was because it was so deep in the heart of the city,” said Area Wildlife Manager Matt Martinez. “We are glad this operation worked out so smoothly for that neighborhood and for the mountain lion. We’d like to thank the Englewood Police Department and Code Enforcement for assisting us in getting that lion out safely.”

CPW did have one credible report of a mountain lion in Centennial by E. Mineral Ave. and S. Quebec St. on July 6, roughly 10 miles as the crow flies from where the mountain lion was relocated out of Thursday night. It is possible it could be from the same mountain lion, which may have navigated northwest up Willow Creek and Little Dry Creek and into Englewood, but there is no way of definitively knowing that is the case.

Mountain lions do come into urban areas to utilize prey resources, which could be deer in the greenbelts in the city, skunks, raccoons or even pets or hobby livestock. To learn more about mountains lions and what to do should you encounter one, please visit our website by clicking here.

Video of the mountain lion being released Friday morning will be posted on our regional Twitter account, @CPW_NE.