In Colorado, the winding trails, rocky summits, and breathtaking sights come with a diverse wildlife presence. While exploring the mountains, it’s essential to be up-to-date with the latest wildlife safety information.
Black Bears
- Spot the Animal: Back away if possible, but do not turn your back on the animal.
- Animal is Aggressive: Make yourself look big and intimidating, and be loud. If attacked, fight back.
Rattlesnakes
- Spot the Animal: Slowly back away.
- Animal is Aggressive: If you hear a rattle, do not jump or panic. Locate where the sound is coming from before you move because you don’t want to step closer to the snake or on top of it. Once located, calmly back away.
Mountain Lions
- Spot the Animal: Hold your ground or back away slowly. Do not run from the lion or approach it.
- Animal is Aggressive: If a mountain lion moves in your direction or is aggressive, wave your arms and speak in a loud, firm voice. If the lion is not scared off, throw stones or branches in the direction of the animal, but do not hit it.
Coyote
- Spot the Animal: Try to scare the coyote away by yelling, making yourself look big, maintaining eye contact, and being loud. Do not turn and run.
- Animal is Aggressive: If a coyote tries to attack, fight back and continue to yell to scare it off.
Mountain Goats
- Spot the Animal: If approached, slowly retreat, giving them space to move freely. Stay at least 50 yards away from them (half the length of a football field).
- Animal is Aggressive: If a mountain goat continues to approach, try to chase it off by yelling, throwing rocks, and waving your arms. If it charges, use the horns to push the goat’s head sideways.
Moose/Elk
- Spot the Animal: Talk and make your presence known while you slowly back away in the direction you came.
- Animal is Aggressive: If the animal charges, run behind a large obstacle because they may lose interest once the threat is out of sight. If knocked down, curl into a ball and lie still (protecting your head) until it retreats.
A rhyme to help remember what to do when seeing various bears is, “If it’s brown, lay down. If it’s black, fight back. If it’s white, goodnight.”
A Myth: If a rattlesnake bites you, do not suck out the venom. This is an old tale that has been proven a myth, and by sucking on the bite, you’re exposing bacteria to the wound. Instead, seek immediate medical attention.
A Tip: Mountain lions do not see humans as prey when they are standing up, but a person who is squatting or bending, the lion categorizes them as potential prey.
