A couple relaxing in a hot tub Saturday evening were unpleasantly surprised when they stalked by a mountain lion who grabbed a hold of the man’s head, scratching him until they were able to fend off the animal.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers were called to a rental home in a heavily wooded area near Nathrop after a couple reported a mountain lion attack while soaking in a hot tub on the property, 9 News reported. The unnamed husband and wife were soaking in the tub around 8 p.m. when the man reportedly felt something grab his head. After reportedly screaming and splashing at the animal, the wife retrieved a flashlight and shined it on the mountain lion, startling it enough to release her husband, ABC News reported.
Though the couple did their best to try to scare the animal away, the mountain lion merely moved to the top of a hill overlooking the tub, where it crouched down near some rocks and continued to watch them, the outlet stated. Once they felt confident enough to make it back inside the home, the couple contacted authorities.
A man was attacked from behind by a mountain lion and suffered wounds to his head while he and his wife were relaxing in an in-ground hot tub. https://t.co/03CoyR6P7Y
— ABC News (@ABC) March 21, 2023
“The victim had four superficial scratches on top of his head and near his right ear,” CPW said in a statement following the incident, according to ABC News. “By the time CPW was alerted and responded, the victim had cleaned the wounds and declined any medical assistance. The officers determined the injuries were consistent with the claw of a mountain lion,” the statement continued, according to the outlet. (RELATED: 9-Year-Old Girl Survives Fight With Cougar In Washington)
While CPW officials attempted to locate the mountain lion, it had fled prior to their arrival and the freezing temperatures and frozen snow on the ground prevented them from discovering any tracks that might lead to its whereabouts.
“We think it’s likely the mountain lion saw the man’s head move in the darkness at ground-level but didn’t recognize the people in the hot tub,” Sean Shepherd, Area Wildlife Manager, told ABC News. “The couple did the right thing by making noise and shining a light on the lion. Although this victim had only minor injuries, we take this incident seriously. We have alerted neighbors and posted signs warning of lion activity. And we will continue to track the lion and lion activity,” he stated.