Two yearling mountain lions were saved from drowning on Friday at Vallecito Reservoir in Colorado, thanks to the efforts of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Pine River Irrigation District. The agency said Mike Canterbury, the dam tender, noticed the trapped animals while preparing to release water from the reservoir down the spillway. The spillway walls were too high for the young mountain lions to climb out. CPW District Wildlife Manager Ty Smith responded to the scene and, after discussing options with Canterbury and irrigation district Superintendent Ken Beck, was granted permission to access the hydroelectric plant property to attempt a rescue. Officer Smith initially offered a rope to the mountain lions, which one of them grabbed onto and was lifted to safety. However, the second lion ran down the spillway towards the Los Pinos River. Unwilling to swim, the young lion paced around the water’s edge until Smith climbed down the spillway with the rope and used it to free the feline. The lion then hid under a truck before joining its sibling in the woods.
CPW expressed gratitude to Beck and Canterbury for delaying the dam release and reporting the incident, which allowed for the successful rescue of the mountain lions.
