Woman killed in suspected mountain lion attack while out hiking
A hiker found dead on a remote trail in Colorado is thought to have been killed in a mountain lion attack.
The woman’s body was found by a group of hikers who spotted a lion nearby.
If confirmed it would be the first fatal attack in the area since 1999.
Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), said the group scared off the wild beast by throwing rocks at it.
She said one of the members of the group, a physician, checked the woman but ‘did not find a pulse’.
‘There were signs that this was consistent with a mountain lion attack but we can’t say for sure,’ Van Hoose told reporters on Thursday, adding that it’s thought the woman was alone.
Hikers told the authorities they saw the lion near the woman, whose body was lying on the ground, approximately 100 yards away at around 12.15pm.
CPW officers, Larimer County Sheriff deputies, Estes Park police and Glen Haven Area Volunteer firefighters responded to the area to launch an extensive search for any mountain lions.
They tracked down two using sniffer dogs.
The lions were euthanised to ‘ensure public safety’, CPW said.
It is unknown if one or multiple animals were involved in the suspected attack.
Larimer County Coroner will release the identity of the victim and cause of death.
But CPW is investigating the incident as a suspected lion attack.
Mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado are considered to be rare, with 28 previous incidents reported to CPW since 1990.
The last fatal attack was in 1999.
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