Tragedy struck early in the New Year in Colorado, when a hiker was killed in a suspected mountain lion attack on January 1. According to a Colorado Parks & Wildlife press release, a group of hikers was on the Crosier Mountain Trail near Estes Park, Colorado when they came upon a shocking scene: a mountain lion was standing “near a person lying on the ground” around 12:15 p.m.
The group of hikers hazed the mountain lion away by throwing rocks at it. They attempted to aid the victim of the attack—an adult woman whose identity and age have not been released—but she did not have a pulse.
Officials quickly responded to the scene and launched a search for the culprit or culprits, using both a biologist for aerial spotting and houndsmen and their dogs. That afternoon, they located and shot one mountain lion at the scene of the suspected attack. Later, they encountered and killed another lion nearby. According to Colorado Public Radio, CPW has also been searching for another mountain lion in the vicinity.
“It is unknown if one or multiple animals were involved in the suspected attack,” wrote a CPW spokesperson. “According to CPW policies, wildlife involved in attacks on humans must be euthanized to ensure public safety. CPW pathologists will perform a necropsy on the animals, checking for abnormalities and neurological diseases like rabies and avian influenza.”
The woman’s wounds were “consistent with a mountain lion attack.” She is undergoing an autopsy this week. Mountain lion attacks are rare. Colorado has recorded only 28 confirmed attacks since 1990. The last fatal attack in the state took place in 1999.
That said, Colorado’s Front Range—the most populus part of the state on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains—has seen increased conflict between humans and mountain lions. “With more and more people choosing to live here and expanding into places not previously developed, mountain lions and humans are interacting more than ever,” CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose told the Colorado Sun in 2024, when the state updated its East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan.
As for the recent attack, there seem to have been warning signs. The Associated Press reports that solo jogger Gary Messina was circled by a mountain lion on the same trail in November. Messina kicked dirt and yelled at the lion but couldn’t get it to retreat until he hit it on the head with a stick.
Related: How to Survive a Mountain Lion Attack
Messina says he reported the incident to wildlife officials, who put up a sign warning trail users of the aggressive mountain lion behavior. However, that sign was reportedly removed later—though it’s not clear why.
