Mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare, even rarer that one of those attacks is fatal – that said, authorities believe a woman was killed by a mountain lion or mountain lions near Rocky Mountain National Park on New Year’s Day.

According to a report from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, hikers reported seeing a mountain lion near a person who was lying on the ground along Crosier Mountain trail in the Glen Haven area at about 12:15 p.m. on January 1. The hikers scared the mountain lion away by throwing rocks and upon further investigation, they found an adult woman who did not have a pulse.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers responded to the scene, along with Larimer County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Estes Park police, and Glen Haven Area Volunteer firefighters. Authorities scoured the area for signs of mountain lions, finding one at the scene and another nearby. Both lions were shot and called.

According to authorities, it is unknown if one or multiple animals were involved in the suspected attack. The animals were killed per policy, as wildlife involved in attacks on humans gets euthanized for the sake of public safety.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife pathologists are set to perform a necropsy on the mountain lions, checking for abnormalities and neurological diseases like rabies and avian influenza. While not noted in the press release on the matter, a necropsy can also sometimes be used to confirm whether or not a specific animal was involved in an attack.

The identity and cause of death of the victim will be released at a later date.

On average, mountain lion attacks occur in Colorado at a rate of less than one per year. There have been 28 local attacks previously reported since 1990, with the last fatal attack taking place in 1999. It is worth noting, however, that there has been quite a bit of debate over whether or not the 3-year-old male who died in this situation was killed by a cougar. Either way, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, this was the last fatal mountain lion attack to occur in the Centennial State.

Prior to that 1999 death, a mountain lion killed a 10-year-old in Rocky Mountain National Park in July 1997.

These two deaths, along with the most recent suspected mountain lion-related death, occurred in the same general northern Colorado area. The most recent death occurred about 7 miles northeast of Estes Park, while the 3-year-old was killed about 21 miles northwest of the same town. Meanwhile, the 1997 death that took place in Rocky Mountain National Park occurred on North Inlet Trail, which is located on the western side of the park with a trailhead near Grand Lake – about 18 miles southwest of Estes Park.

A fourth mountain lion death since 1990 took place in 1991 in Idaho Springs, when an 18-year-old male runner was killed on a familiar route.

Look for updates from Colorado Parks and Wildlife in upcoming days and weeks providing more details about this Larimer County fatality as the investigation into the situation continues.

Condolences go out to those impacted by this woman’s tragic death.

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