Colorado Man Injured Following a Mountain Lion Attack

A mountain lion in Chaffee County reportedly attacked a man on Saturday night, prompting a search for the animal by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

Four CPW officers responded after learning about the possible mountain lion attack around 10 p.m. at a rental home in a wooded area west of Nathrop along Chalk Creek, according to OutThere Colorado.

The Colorado man and his wife had been sitting in an in-ground hot tub around 8 p.m. when the incident occurred. Speaking with the CPW officers, the man said he felt "something grab his head."

In a news release, CPW officials said the man and his wife screamed and splashed water at the mountain lion, which they identified after his wife shone a flashlight on it.

The mountain lion, startled by the light and commotion, fled to the top of a nearby hill, but it still watched the couple from afar, some 20 feet away.

But the pair reportedly managed to get back inside the rental house after that. The mountain lion attack caused superficial scratches on the victim's head and near his right ear.

Officers said the wounds were consistent with mountain lion claws. The Colorado man chose to clean the wounds on his own and refused medical assistance.

Mountain Lion Did Not Recognize the Colorado Man as Human

Due to nearby housing developments and a hot springs resort, state wildlife officials did not use dogs to follow the mountain lion and tried to capture the animal by setting a trap. But with no success, The Denver Posts reported.

Sean Shepherd, the CPW area wildlife manager in Salida, believed the mountain lion likely noticed the man's head move at ground level in the darkness but did not recognize the individual in the hot tub.

CPW officials said the couple's decision to scare the lion away with noise and light was the right. Despite the victim's mild injuries, Shepherd said they are treating the situation very seriously, adding that they have already warned the neighborhood and put up warnings about the lions.

"And we will continue to track the lion and lion activity," he noted. It was Colorado's first documented mountain lion attack since February 27, 2022.

It was also the 24th reported lion attack on a human since 1990. However, this was the first to result in injuries, and the three others resulted in death, according to Fox 31.

Some Colorado mountain lions have reportedly become more active and have had more encounters with domestic pets because of the increasing human population in their area.

Another Mountain Lion Attack Was Reported in Arizona

Before the reported mountain lion attack that injured a man in Colorado, a 64-year-old man was also attacked by a mountain lion in Arizona on Thursday, according to authorities.

The man was rafting on the Salt River with a group who fought the lion with their paddles after he was attacked, The Sacramento Bee reported.

The report said about 10 other rafters successfully repelled the mountain lion as the remaining rafters took refuge in their craft.

Authorities did not disclose the degree of the man's injuries. Officials claimed that hunters accompanied by dogs are actively searching for the mountain lion.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Man in Hot Tub Attacked by Mountain Lion in Colorado - From 9NEWS