Woman killed by mountain lion in first fatal attack in 27 years, authorities believe

A solo female hiker has died after a suspected mountain lion attack, the first to happen in Colorado since 1999.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose confirmed that at about 12.15 pm on Thursday, hikers on the Crosier Mountain trail in Larimer County observed a mountain lion near a woman lying on the ground about 100 yards away.

“As [the hikers] started to get closer, they started to scare the lion from the area by throwing rocks at the animal, and it eventually went away, but they found an adult woman lying on the trail,” Van Hoose said at a press conference.

“One of the witnesses is a physician and did not find a pulse. We are investigating this as a suspected fatal mountain lion attack.”

Van Hoose added that mountain lion attacks in Colorado are sporadic. There have been 28 attacks recorded on humans since 1990, the last fatal attack was in 1999.

After the woman’s body was found, Van Hoose said an extensive search for the mountain lion was launched.

“One mountain lion was shot on scene by officers, later tracked and euthanised, a second lion was located in the area and also euthanised by officers,” she said.

“In accordance with CPW policies, any wildlife involved in a human attack must be euthanised to ensure public safety.

“This is an area where mountain lions are really common, along with a lot of other wildlife like bears and moose.”

Van Hoose confirmed the woman was hiking alone, and the coroner will release a report confirming the cause of the attack at a later date. The euthanised lions will also be tested for human DNA.

In a separate media release, CPW advised hikers to remain vigilant for wildlife in the area.

Along the Front Range and in Larimer County, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts should expect to encounter wildlife. Mountain lions are more visible in winter as they follow deer and elk to lower elevations,” the release said.

“If lions are spotted, make noise to scare them from the area, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and start backing away from the animal. Pets should be kept on-leash and not interact with wildlife.”

The last suspected mountain lion attack was when three-year-old Jaryd Atadero went missing on October 2, 1999.

The boy was walking with a Christian social group on Big South Trail, a part of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado.

The cause of his death remained a mystery until his remains were found in 2003 by a group of hikers.

Justin Smith was a sergeant with the Larimer County Sheriff's Office who told Denver 7 ABC the boy likely died from a mountain lion attack.

"The way they were found was consistent with... this is something that would have been an abduction by a cat. So there's just, there's nothing that indicated anything else over the years," Smith said.