Search ends for mountain lion responsible for killing hiker on Colorado trail

The search for mountain lions following a fatal attack on a solo hiker in Colorado has concluded, authorities confirmed, after two of the predators were killed last week.

Kristen Marie Kovatch, 46, from Fort Collins, was identified as the victim of the New Year's Day incident on the remote Crosier Mountain trail, situated an hour's drive from her home and east of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Larimer County Coroner’s Office announced on Monday that Ms Kovatch died of asphyxia due to neck compression. Her injuries were found to be "consistent with a mountain lion attack," leading the coroner’s office to rule her death an accident. Efforts to locate a third mountain lion in the vicinity proved unsuccessful.

Two hikers saw Kovatch's body on a trail southeast of the community of Glen Haven, Colorado, at around noon on Jan. 1, state officials said. A mountain lion was nearby and they threw rocks to scare it away. One of the hikers, a physician, attended to the victim but did not find a pulse.

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Later that day, two mountain lions located in the area around the attack were shot and killed by wildlife officers. The search for a third lion detected in the area stretched over four days with no further sign of the animal, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials.

Mountain lions — also known as cougars, pumas or catamounts — can weigh 130 pounds (60 kilograms) and grow to more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. They primarily eat deer.

Colorado has an estimated 3,800 to 4,400 mountain lions, which are classified as a big game species in the state and can be hunted.

A Glen Haven man running on the same trail where Kovatch was killed encountered a montain lion in November. He said it rushed him aggressively but he fought it off with a stick.