How many people can say they've gotten THIS close to a mountain lion?

The video above, via Gillian Russell on Twitter, shows footage of Russell's crazy close encounter with a mountain lion who seemingly got quite close to her home off Lee Hill Road in Boulder.

People rarely get more than a brief glimpse of mountain lions in the wild — so this instance of a mountain lion casually making its way around the Boulder foothills is rather rare.. and thrilling.

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It might not be super common to encounter a mountain lion in this fashion, but it's definitely possible (clearly) - and it's smart to be prepared, should it ever happen. If you ever have a encounter with a mountain lion that comes around your home, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) says to take action (i.e; yell at it through through the window, bang pots and pans together, set off your car alarm) and haze it away.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife also curated a video that further demonstrates what you should do if you encounter a mountain lion; to watch CPW's video, click here.

Other recommendations for staying safe during a mountain lion encounter via CPW include:

  • Do not approach a mountain lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation - give them a way to escape
  • Stay calm if you come across a mountain lion
  • Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely. Running may stimulate a lion's instinct to chase and attack
  • Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back

10 Wild Animal Encounters in Northern Colorado in 2020

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