A tragic incident unfolded on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer County, where Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is currently investigating a suspected fatal mountain lion attack. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, hikers came across a person lying on the ground, from a distance, around 12:15 p.m., before they scared off a nearby mountain lion with thrown rocks.
After finding no pulse on the adult woman, CPW officers, along with Larimer County Sheriff deputies, Estes Park police, and volunteers from the Glen Haven Area Fire Department, responded to the scene to search for the involved mountain lions, with assistance from a biologist conducting aerial surveys. Despite their efforts, the officers located one lion, shot at it, and it fled, then subsequently euthanized it along with a second lion found in the vicinity. It hasn't been established if these animals were responsible for the attack or if there were multiple aggressors.
A necropsy will be conducted on the euthanized mountain lions, where CPW pathologists will check for abnormalities and diseases such as rabies or avian influenza. The Larimer County Coroner is expected to provide information on the identity of the victim and the cause of death in due course. With 28 reported attacks by mountain lions on humans in Colorado since 1990 and the last fatal incident dating back to 1999, such encounters are relatively infrequent but still a cause for precaution among hikers.
