Woman dies in suspected mountain lion attack in Colorado
FILE - Mountain lion in the mountains of Montana, United States (Photo by: Dennis Fast / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Wildlife officials in Colorado are investigating a suspected mountain lion attack that left one hiker dead.
What we know:
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, officers responded about 12:15 p.m. New Year’s Day to reports of a mountain lion and a woman lying on the ground on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer County. Hikers who approached the lion and the victim threw rocks at the animal to scare it away. They tried to help the woman who was attacked, but they didn’t find a pulse.
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Law enforcement shot one mountain lion at the scene when they arrived, then later tracked the injured lion and euthanized it. They found a second mountain lion nearby and euthanized that animal, too.
What we don't know:
The woman’s name and age have not been released. It’s also not clear if one or multiple animals were involved in the fatal attack.
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The backstory:
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, mountain lion attacks are rare in the state. There have been 28 reported since 1990. The last fatal attack was in 1999.
What they're saying:
"Mountain lions are more visible in winter as they follow deer and elk to lower elevations," CPW said in a statement. "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 Source: This report includes information from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.