Authorities in Colorado are investigating the suspected fatal mountain lion attack of a solo hiker found dead on a remote trail near Crosier Mountain on New Year\u2019s Day, amid reports of recent aggressive encounters with the predators in the same area.<\/p>\n
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) confirmed that the woman\u2019s body, discovered on Thursday along the Crosier Mountain trail northeast of Estes Park, showed wounds consistent with a mountain lion attack. An autopsy is scheduled for next week to confirm the cause of death, according to the Larimer County Coroner\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
The incident has raised concern after a nearby resident reported a close encounter with a mountain lion on the same trail weeks earlier. Gary Messina said he was running along the route on a dark November morning when he spotted the animal in the brush and was forced to fight it off after it charged and attempted to circle behind him. He later reported the incident to wildlife officials, who temporarily posted warning signs along the trail.<\/p>\n
Following the hiker\u2019s death, CPW officers tracked and killed two mountain lions in the area one at the scene and another nearby. Necropsies are underway to determine whether either animal was responsible for the attack and whether disease may have played a role. A search for a third reported mountain lion continued on Friday, with nearby trails remaining closed as a precaution.<\/p>\n
Officials said two hikers spotted the victim\u2019s body from a distance and scared off a nearby mountain lion by throwing rocks. One of the hikers, a physician, attempted to assist the victim but found no pulse.<\/p>\n
Mountain lion sightings are relatively common in the region due to its rugged terrain, dense forests and abundant prey. However, attacks on humans remain rare. If confirmed, this would be the first fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado since 1999, according to wildlife records.<\/p>\n
Experts stress that most mountain lion encounters do not result in attacks and advise hikers to travel in groups, remain alert, avoid dawn and dusk outings, and never run if confronted. Instead, people are advised to maintain eye contact, make themselves appear larger and slowly back away.<\/p>\n
Authorities said the victim\u2019s identity will be released after the autopsy, as the investigation continues.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Authorities in Colorado are investigating the suspected fatal mountain lion attack of a solo hiker found dead on a remote trail near Crosier Mountain on New Year\u2019s Day, amid reports of recent aggressive encounters with the predators in the same area. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) confirmed that the woman\u2019s body, discovered on Thursday along<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,239],"tags":[1084,1728,2598,2597,1261,2167],"class_list":{"0":"post-14886","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"category-usa-canada","9":"tag-breaking-news","10":"tag-colorado","11":"tag-hiking-safety","12":"tag-mountain-lion","13":"tag-public-safety","14":"tag-wildlife"},"yoast_head":"\n