The footage is incredible!
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) shared a video on their social media accounts that showed a mountain lion swimming across the McPhee Reservoir in Montezuma County, Colorado.
In the caption of the video, CPW assured the mountain lion made it safely to shore and continued on his way.
Check out the amazing video below:
Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Mountain lions, like most felines, are not known for being fans of water and avoid swimming when they can.
Even CPW staff were suprised by the animal's action. "We were certainly surprised, but who knows what goes through the mind of a wild critter," said Matt Thorpe, CPW Wildlife manager, in a recent interview with the Durango Herald.
The population of mountain lions in Colorado ranges from 3,000 to 7,000. It's rare that one of these big cats would attack a human since they are primarily nocturnal and feed on deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheeps, and pronghorn.
The McPhee Reservoir is one of the largest ones in Colorado. The 4,470-acre reservoir is located just a few miles northwest of Dolores and 10 miles from Cortez. Its construction was part of the Dolores Project and dams the dolores River to irrigate the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. A variety of fish species live in the McPhee Reservoir, from Rainbow Trout to Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch.
What do you think of the amazing video of the mountain lion? Know of any other incredible wildlife sightings? Leave a comment below.