VAIL, Colo. — A Vail homeowner's Ring camera captured the unexpected moment a mountain lion ran up to the front door and growled.
On Jan. 14, 2022, a Ring camera outside the front door of a home in Vail captured a mountain lion approaching the door twice in one evening. It's not clear if it's the same animal or two lions.
In the second clip, the mountain lion ran up the front steps and to the door before growling.
The homeowner said he had just moved to the home in November and couldn't believe how large the animal was.
You can watch the video below (make sure your volume is up).
Mountain lions generally avoid humans and busy areas, and prefer places with plentiful deer and adequate cover, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. However, in recent years, the number of human-mountain lion interactions has increased due to more people moving into their habitat and increases in deer populations.
To reduce the risk of problems with mountain lions, make noise if you're outside between dusk and dawn. You can also install outside lighting. Make sure to keep an eye on children and dogs when they are outside. To prevent mountain lions from calling your property home, remove vegetation that they could hide behind.
According to The Denver Post, in a CPW area that included all of Boulder County plus parts of Larimer and Weld counties, reports of mountain lion sightings increased from 62 in 2019 to 96 in 2020. This year so far, there have been 85 there.