A video has captured Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers straddling a high wall and dangling a rope during their successful effort in rescuing two young mountain lions that had become trapped in a spillway.
CPW’s Southwest Region said the rescue unfolded on Friday as officials were preparing to release water down the Vallecito Reservoir spillway outside of Durango.
“A release of water likely would have drowned the two lions,” it said, noting that the Pine River Irrigation District allowed its officers onto hydroelectric plant property to attempt the rescue.
Video released by CPW then showed one of its officers dangling a rope from atop a wall and lifting one of the animals up from the spillway far below.
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A Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer is seen dangling a rope with a mountain lion clinging onto it on Friday, April 19, near the Vallecito Reservoir outside of Durango. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
“The first mountain lion held onto the rope all the way to the top of the spillway barrier and quickly ran off into the woods. The second lion, however, wouldn’t hold onto the rope and ran down the spillway all the way to where the Los Pinos River continues below the dam,” it said. “Unwilling to swim to reach the bank, the young lion continued to pace around at the water’s edge and moved into a corner of the spillway.”
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Both young mountain lions were rescued from the spillway, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
CPW says one of its officers then went down into the spillway himself and managed to get the mountain lion interested in the rope.
“With the lion interested in the rope, CPW staff were also able to use a catch pole and all together we lifted the lion over the concrete wall and quickly released it. However, the lion decided to hide under a truck for a few minutes,” it said.
One of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers had to enter the spillway himself to complete the rescue. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
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“After everyone backed off and it took time to regroup, the young lion ran off in the same direction as its sibling,” CPW added.
