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Mountain lion shot with bean bags

By Vanessa Miller
Originally published 10:53 a.m., April 29, 2008
Updated 11:17 a.m., April 29, 2008

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A "persistent" mountain lion was shot three times with bean bags Monday night in the 900 block of Ninth Street after a man reported seeing it eating a raccoon in his University Hill yard, according to Boulder police.

Colorado Division of Wildlife officials were at another call and asked Boulder police officers to fire the bean bags to try and chase away the cat, which was first reported at about 8:53 p.m.

The lion left the area after the third hit, but it was spotted back in the area about three hours later at 11:50 p.m., said Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley.

"This guy is pretty persistent," Huntley said. "There were flashlights and people all around, and he didn't stop what he was doing."

Officers removed the raccoon carcass from the area to dissuade the lion from returning to collect its prey, but residents again called police about 6 this morning to report the lion was back, Huntley said.

Division of wildlife officers have been called about the sightings.

Earlier this month, neighbors of central Boulder's Casey Park — just east of Broadway and north of Mapleton Avenue — made numerous reports to wildlife officials about a mountain lion sighted in the area.

Officers didn't find that lion, but said they found a deer it killed close to a home near the intersection of High Street and Sunset Boulevard.