Cece Daniels received an alarming message from a friend last week. A mountain lion was spotted in one of her neighbor’s backyard. 

Footage was captured on a Ring camera showing the mountain lion slowly moving around a patio area. Though the video was recorded on Oct. 29, it wasn’t posted to the Ring Neighbors app, which allows Ring users to share content, until Nov. 12. 

The footage was posted anonymously and does not give an exact location, but it does show a radius from where the footage was taken that includes Daniels’s home, which is near Bluebird Market in central Silverthorne. The radius also includes the outlet mall and nearby homes on either side of the Blue River. 

While Daniels said she’s heard of mountain lion sightings, she’s never seen one herself. 

“This one was a little disturbing,” she said of the recent footage. 

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Rachel Gonzales, mountain lion sightings are on the rise statewide, possibly due to the increased use of technology like video doorbells and outside security cameras that help to capture the elusive animals more often.

In April, another Silverthorne resident’s Ring camera captured five mountain lions roaming near their home in the Blue River Run subdivision.

“With that being said, we don’t know what we don’t know. We only know of a mountain lion sighting if it’s reported to us,” Gonzales said in an email response, adding that residents who capture mountain lion sights are encouraged to share it with the agency. 

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Parks and Wildlife is currently in the midst of conducting multiple mountain lion density studies but does not have any data to share currently, Gonzales said. 

Although most of Colorado is in mountain lion territory, they rarely attack people. Gonzales said the animals tend to live in “remote, primitive country with plentiful deer and adequate cover.”

“Such conditions exist in mountain subdivisions, urban fringes and open spaces. As our communities expand and recreation in our High Country increases, the chances of seeing a mountain lion also increases,” Gonzales added. 

Since 1990, there have been 25 reported mountain lion attacks on humans, with the most recent high-profile case being in 2019 when a mountain lion attacked a trail runner in Larimer County. 

While there’s been little reported activity in Summit County, the wildlife agency has seen an increase in mountain lion attacks on pets in neighboring Grand County at the end of last year and into January. One even took place off of Main Street in downtown Granby. 

For Daniels, the Silverthorne resident, this is of particular concern. 

“It’s so important to be aware of what is happening in your vicinity,” she said. “This is a very populated area. We have kids. Everybody has an animal.”

Attacks may be uncommon, but wildlife have been known to kill pets in the county. Daniels said her friend’s dog was killed after being trampled by a moose in 2021 while hiking with its owners on a trail near Frisco. 

“These things do happen. They don’t happen every day, but they do happen,” Daniels said. “We have to coexist with animals.”

Gonzales said there are several ways to keep pets safe. Those include avoiding feeding pets outside, keeping them within sight and on a leash when roaming outside and keeping them indoors from dusk to dawn, whenever possible. 

“If you must let your pet out between dusk through dawn when mountain lions are most active, check the area and make your presence known by turning lights on and making noise before letting your pet out,” Gonzales said. “The goal is to make a mountain lion feel as uncomfortable and unwanted as possible so they will leave. Keep a close eye on them and never leave them out overnight.”

To report a mountain lion sighting or encounter in Summit and Grand counties, contact the Hot Sulphur Springs Colorado Parks and Wildlife office at 970-725-6200. For after-hours wildlife emergencies, contact the Colorado State Patrol at 970-824-6501.