My understanding is that humans are not on lions table fare, and that lions avoid humans and human activity. We are pretty much their only competitor. But it seems young lions may see opportunity, and old lions, unable to effectively hunt, may take the bait.
I will disagree with the part about lions avoiding humans and human activity. That has not been my experience. I will also say they are the one animal I have run into that does not run. Just about every critter on the mountain runs when it sees a human. Occasionally a bear won't run and those are the problem ones. Every single lion I have run into did NOT run from me. It has always been a staring contest for a little bit before they WALK away. Have you ever watched a house cat lay down 20 yards or so away from a dog and the dog have no idea the cat was there? The cat just lays there and thinks "stupid dog". That's the impression I have always gotten in my lion encounters. I have often wondered how many times we have been watched and had no idea.
I would say 99% of the time a full grown man is NOT on a lions menu. However, they are opportunistic feeders and a 50lb kid is like taking candy from a baby.
There were 3 lion attacks in Colorado in 2019 so obviously it's not something that happens everyday. I just think our cabin is a higher risk environment. Kind of like there are places in every state where you are at a much higher risk to get shot.
