A man in Colorado was relaxing in an outdoor hot tub with his wife when he felt something grab his head — and quickly realized the culprit was a mountain lion. Fortunately, the couple did all the right things — screamed, splashed water, shined a flashlight at the big cat — and the creature backed off. The man was left with scratches on his head and ear, but not serious enough for a hospital visit.
From APNews:
Wildlife officials said Monday they are searching for a mountain lion that clawed a man's head while he was sitting in a hot tub with his wife at a rental home in central Colorado. …
The man was soaking in the in-ground hot tub in a wooded subdivision west of Nathrop on Saturday night when he felt something grab his head, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. …
Authorities said it retreated to the top of a hill and continued to watch the couple.
The man and his wife were able to get back into the home, where they cleaned his wounds and called the property owner, who happened to work for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. …
"We think it's likely the mountain lion saw the man's head move in the darkness at ground-level but didn't recognize the people in the hot tub," said Sean Shepherd, area wildlife manager based in Salida.
Mountain lion attacks on humans are "somewhat rare," according to A-Z Animals, with the last Colorado attack occurring in February 2022. But attacks may be "trending upward" as more people encroach on mountain lion territory — moving into houses that were once home to the cats.