Cougar attacks man inside Colorado hot tub, authorities say

(CNN) — A mountain lion attacked a man who was relaxing in a hot tub at a Colorado vacation rental property, according to the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife.

“While the victim sustained minor injuries, we take this incident seriously,” said Area Wildlife Manager Sean Shepherd, in a press release.

The victim claimed that he felt something grab his face while he was in the hot tub with his wife on March 18. The couple was staying at a vacation property in the heavily wooded area about five miles from Nathrop, Colorado.

“He and his wife began yelling at and throwing water at the animal,” the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department said in the statement. “The victim’s partner took a flashlight and pointed it at the animal, which they identified as a puma.”

The couple were able to drive the animal away and safely return to the property.

So, they called the owner of the place, who luckily is also an employee of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department, and alerted the officers who responded to the scene.

The victim had minor scratches on her head and refused to receive medical attention. Officials confirmed that the scratches were patterned after the claws of a puma, according to the statement.

Deputies began searching for the big cat immediately, according to the statement. But “no puma tracks were found due to low temperatures and frozen snow on the ground,” the agency said. Officials set traps around the property.

This is the first record of a cougar attack on a human in Colorado in a year, according to the department. It is the 24th known cougar attack on a human in Colorado since 1990.

“We believe it is possible that the puma saw the man’s head moving in the darkness at ground level, but did not recognize the humans in the hot tub,” Shepherd said in the statement. “The couple did the right thing by making noise and pointing the light at the puma.”

On Sunday, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed to CNN that the cougar has not been located. The agency is continuing to search the area and has posted signs asking for the public’s help in reporting cougar sightings.

According to estimates, the cougar population in Colorado is between 3,000 and 7,000 individuals, according to the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife. Elusive predators, which usually avoid humans, typically consume large herbivores such as deer and deer. Adult males can reach 2.4 meters in length and weigh an average of 68 kg.