Lion in my backyard?

[Carl]

I recorded this around 11:30pm tonight while standing in the backyard. After I stopped recording the screams stopped for about 20 seconds, I heard something moving towards us quickly, the chain link fence about 30 feet away shook, we yelled, then my friend said he saw what looked like it could be a mountain lion running away towards 5th street in downtown Golden. Can anyone identify the animal in this audio? Thanks.

[tbonesaredelicious]

A mountain lion would probably jump the fence. I'd guess fox..

[Keldog]

Sounds like a pissed off tom cat, but the audio could be quieter than in person. Mtn Lions are loud! Look around for a kill site in the morning.

[dehrlich101]

Sounds too small to be a mountain lion. Lions are loud, and have a growl towards the end. I work in Golden and have been seeing a Bobcat regularly on our property at night.. Maybe he ventured downtown this evening.

[Tampa Flatlander]

Sounded small to me as well until I listened to this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnYUTYbfzFk

[CO Native]

Sounds like a fox to me. Here is a fox sound clip http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/call.wav

Possibly a kit crying. Here is what the kits sound like: http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/cry.wav

[CO Native]

I don't know why those links don't work when I post them, so just go here and listen to the 3rd and 4th links.

http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/sounds.html

[cybrhikr]

I would say fox. We have them around our acreage and hear them frequently in summer. Have to admit they do sound scary at night,especially when you are walking a small dog in the dark.

[Carl]

Haven't heard a fox quite like that before but didn't realize fox/mountain lion cries can be somewhat similar. Thanks for the info. It was definitely a whole lot louder than my iPhone recorder made it sound. Entertaining either way.

[peter303]

I see large cat scat in the trailways of Highlands Ranch maybe once or twice a year. I think they are just passing through and not regularly hunting like in Golden or Boulder. A dead lion was picked up near the Mineral King light rail stop in 2009. I see coyotes far, far more often. Nearly every week if I am running dawn or dusk.

[Tory Wells]

Some nights my house cats have stand-offs or fights outside with other house cats in the neighborhood and they scream absolute bloody murder. I'm not saying your animal was a house cat, just saying it's surprising how loud such small animals can be when they want to.

Fox or bobcat would be my guess.

[JE242]

I first mistook this exact sound for a lion, until i saw a fox run under my floodlight actually making the sound. Until that point, I would have swore that there was a very disfucntional and vocal lion family living in my back yard.