When people think of Colorado wildlife, they’re likely imagining a black bear wandering through the forest on a hunt or a herd of elk grazing in a distant field. However, many locals and tourists, alike, seem to miss one of Colorado’s most unique species – the ringtail.
Settlers once referred to the ringtail as the “miner’s cat” and would domesticate them to hunt rats in their cabins. Despite many nicknames (ringtail cat, civet cat, bassarisk, and cacomistlehe), the ringtail is not a cat. Ringtails belong to the same family as raccoons and coatis and are found in Colorado, along with nine other western states.
In February 2019, a Colorado Springs news station published a video that captured a ringtail inside of a Cañon City Burger King. Though present in the Centennial State, this species is rarely seen…