Video: Wildlife Officials Conduct Nerve-Wracking Mountain Lion Rescue

It was a risky rescue caught on camera.

Wild animals show up in areas populated by humans all the time, but it's not every day that they end up stuck in a concrete spillway and at risk of drowning. 

That's what rescuers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife had to deal with last week. On April 19, district wildlife manager Ty Smith was preparing to let water out of the Vallecito Reservoir in southwest Colorado and into the reservoir's spillway when he noticed two mountain lions trapped in the deep concrete river. With high walls on both sides, "a release of water likely would have drowned the two lions," CPW stated plainly. 

Pine River Irrigation District Dam Tender Mike Canterbury was about to release water from
Vallecito Reservoir down the spillway when he noticed the two young mountain lions. He quickly called CPW, and wildlife officer Ty Smith responded.

Note the high walls of the spillway. pic.twitter.com/KP9DBoNdHZ

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) April 22, 2024

A release of water likely would have drowned the two lions. PRID Superintendent Ken Beck and Canterbury spotting them and holding off on the release gave them a second chance, and PRID opened the hydroelectric plant property to allow CPW a chance to rescue the lions. pic.twitter.com/9PoLVpz9uD

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) April 22, 2024

CPW district wildlife manager Ty Smith and his team jumped into action to save the stranded felines. "Smith wasn’t sure if he would have to dart the mountain lions or if they would come out another way. He was provided a rope and dangled it in front of the kittens to see if by chance they’d grab onto it and he could lift it out. One of them did!" an X post recounted. 

District Wildlife Manager Ty Smith wasn’t sure if he would have to dart the mountain lions or if they would come out another way. He was provided a rope and dangled it in front of the kittens to see if by chance they’d grab onto it and he could lift it out. One of them did! pic.twitter.com/S3hJdDLHrk

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) April 22, 2024

"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," CPW described on social media. "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."

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. pic.twitter.com/eKPnQWzjU3

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) April 22, 2024

The second lion proved a little harder to catch, as the rescuers had to chase it down the spillway before wrangling it with a catch pole. The cat took a moment to get its bearings before following its sibling into the nearby woods. 

Here are some better videos of the rope work wildlife officer Ty Smith used to move these lions around and get them free of the spillway and in better positions for rescue. pic.twitter.com/REDGeRRCXb

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) April 22, 2024

With the possibility of a deluge just moments away, these big cats are proof they have nine lives.