Red Lodge Residents on High Alert as Mountain Lions Prowl Town Neighborhoods

Big cats are stalking Red Lodge neighborhoods this week, forcing residents to reconsider their daily routines after a viral wildlife camera video grabbed more than 27,000 views on social media.

The heightened awareness comes just days after the first fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado in over two decades claimed a woman's life on a hiking trail, underscoring the real dangers these predators pose.

Drew and Susy Grimes aren't panicking despite more than a decade of Red Lodge living.

"We've lived here 13 or 14 years," Drew explained during a disc golf outing in the cold.

"We see tracks too, but never had a problem."

Even veteran residents like the Grimes family take precautions seriously.

"I always have my bear spray, especially on the trails in the National Forest," Susy emphasized.

Recent sightings near the Two Mile Bridge area have caught the attention of wildlife experts, who say awareness can be critical when spending time outdoors.

BR Walker from the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary delivered a sobering reality check about these apex predators.

"The cat has been watching you much longer than you have seen it," Walker warned.

The numbers are staggering – an estimated 2,500 mountain lions living in Montana and nearly 2,000 in Wyoming.

"They are structurally built to be a killing machine," Walker said bluntly.

Homeowners unknowingly create danger zones by leaving attractants outside, Walker explained.

"If you've got a raccoon coming up eating your dog food on the porch, you've got a meal out there for a mountain lion," she noted.

Walker believes the lions seen in the recent videos are likely a mother and her cubs.

This makes the situation even more dangerous as the female teaches hunting techniques to her offspring.

"She's teaching them how to hunt. How to hide, how to be sly, how to catch you unaware," Walker explained.

For anyone encountering a mountain lion, Walker's advice is clear: maintain eye contact, appear large, make noise, and never run.

Bear spray can be effective, but standing your ground remains the most critical survival strategy.

Mountain lions tend to be more visible around larger population centers in the winter as they follow their main prey sources, elk and deer, to lower elevations.

The Red Lodge sightings serve as a stark reminder that even small Montana communities must remain vigilant when sharing territory with these powerful predators.