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A mountain lion - not the one suspected of killing Samson - rests in the snow in Teller County. Courtesy of Kevin Russell and Colorado Parks and Wildlife
BY R. SCOTT RAPPOLD
THE GAZETTE
Of the four dogs, black Labrador Samson loved being outside the most.
At 85 pounds, owner Crystal Ryon figured he was large enough to be left out after dark, even with the critters than roam the Red Rock Valley neighborhood in the foothills southwest of Colorado Springs.
But earlier this month, Ryon found Samson’s body beneath a tree, clawed, bitten and dragged 50 yards from the yard where he loved to lounge.
“It was difficult. As soon as I found him I knew exactly what had happened,” she said Thursday.
Now a hunt is on for Samson’s killer.
A mountain lion is suspected of killing Samson and other pets in the neighborhood off Colorado Highway 115, so Colorado Parks and Wildlife has brought in a hunter to kill the young lion.
While it’s unusual for a mountain lion to kill such a large dog, agency spokesman Michael Seraphin said, “They’re wild animals and you never know what’s going to happen, and they’re individuals.”
The neighborhood is adjacent to a rugged area of Pike National Forest, with rocky canyons, steep hills and no road or trail access — perfect mountain lion habitat, Seraphin said.
Learn about living in mountain lion country.
Ryon, who has lived there seven years, knew lions roam the area. She said a neighbor’s Jack Russell terrier was recently killed.
But on the night of Jan. 11, when Samson didn’t come running in for dinner, her first thought was he had been hit by a car. She never saw the cougar, just a blood trail and drag marks. When she found the body, the dog had a bite to the head and claw marks from where the lion jumped on his back.
Worried about the safety of other pets, not to mention horses and kids in the neighborhood, she reported the lion to wildlife authorities.
“As he grows, his food chain is going to get bigger,” she said. “When they start doing something they don’t normally do, then you have to start worrying about them.”
Seraphin said if a problem cougar must be killed during the hunting season, which runs from November through March, the agency prefers to contact a hunter to do it, so someone can get use out of the carcass and meat. The hunter searched the area Monday , but his dogs lost the lion’s scent.
The hunter will return if there is another sighting. Seraphin said the hunter's dogs picked up the scent in Ryon's yard, so officials know they were tracking the right lion. As to whether the same lion could have killed the other pet, he said, "It's a high probability but there is no certainty."
Meanwhile, people are nervous in the neighborhood of 50 homes.
“Every night we go out and our dog goes to the bathroom. We go with him, with a flashlight and air horn ... and a bat,” said neighbor Tina Swonger.
She had a dog killed years ago, and while she doesn’t like that the lion must be killed, she agrees it is necessary.
“That dog was huge. For a mountain lion to take it down only 50 yards away from the house was ridiculous,” Swonger said.
Ryon is more careful now. When the other three dogs go outside, she goes with them and stays close.
“The other three aren’t really outdoorsy dogs,” she said.
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Contact R. Scott Rappold: 476-1605
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