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Mountain Lion Sightings In Bailey Continue After Attack, 2 Euthanizations

BAILEY, Colo. (CBS4) - Officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife say the Burland Ranchettes subdivision in Bailey where a mountain lion attacked a child on Wednesday may have numerous mountain lions prowling around it. Their announcement is intended to give fair warning to homeowners about the dangers, and it follows the news that officers killed two mountain lions in the area on Thursday. Those animals stole and ate a homeowner's goat.

mountain lion
(credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife)

"We don't want people to panic, they are very aware of all the wildlife that lives around them, but the proper precautions need to be taken," said CPW spokesman Jason Clay in a prepared statement. "There are obligations that people must be committed to for living responsibly with wildlife."

CPW says the two mountain lions -- described as "sub-adult males" who were each about a year old -- were euthanized by officers with USDA Wildlife Services but they aren't saying exactly that led up to them being spotted and killed. It apparently happened on or near the property where the goat was living during Thursday's search for the mountain lion responsible for attacking the boy Wednesday evening. Officials have sent the animals' carcasses off to a forensics lab at the University of Wyoming for testing to try to determine if one of them was the one that attacked the 8-year-old boy.

Clay said on Friday afternoon that after the two mountain lions were killed, three other mountain lions were spotted on that property. They also said several mountain lions were spotted on trail cameras on Wednesday near the home of the boy who was attacked. They shared an image of one of those animals.

Officials have a trap set up near the home of the boy, but at this time they aren't planning to euthanize any more mountain lions in the area. If one is trapped, they plan to keep it alive until the Wyoming test results come back and then a determination about the animal's future will be made.

RELATED: The 3 Mountain Lion Attacks In Colorado In 2019 Follow A Pattern

Residents in the Burland Ranchettes subdivision are asked to continue reporting mountain lion sightings. They can call the CPW at 303-291-7227 during business hours or the Colorado State Patrol at 303-239-4501 at other times.

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