MOUNTAIN LION (Felis concolor hippolestes)
Very large, slender cat with small head and long, heavy, black-tipped, cylindrical tail. Fur soft, yellowish or reddish brown. Length, including tail, about 7 feet, height at shoulder almost 2½ feet, weight varies from 100 to 176 pounds.
These great, sleek cats are among the most elusive of all animals to be seen in the wild. Because of their natural wariness and highly developed senses of smell and hearing, few persons have ever sighted the lithe, muscular body. Those who have, usually discover them from a distance, “sunning” on some rocky ledge or cliff. A few cougars are reported inhabiting the small canyons off the Devil’s Gulch area, northeast of Estes Park. If true, it is probably these cats making their circle “tour” of 50 to 100 miles in a few days’ search of game, that are infrequently seen in the Park. Cougars prefer fresh meat and prey chiefly on deer, but will catch rabbits and rodents occasionally. They have been known to trail a human long distances, but rarely show themselves or attack.