Lori Iverson / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wildlife officials in Colorado are investigating a suspected fatal mountain lion attack after a woman was found dead on a hiking trail on New Year’s Day.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said that at around 12:15 p.m. Thursday, a group of hikers on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer County reported seeing a mountain lion near a person lying on the ground about 100 yards away. The hikers approached and threw rocks at the mountain lion to scare it away, then checked but could not find the victim’s pulse.
CPW officers, Larimer County Sheriff deputies, Estes Park police, Glen Haven Area Volunteer firefighters and houndsmen responded to the scene and launched an “extensive search” for mountain lions. A CPW biologist who was already conducting aerial deer surveys assisted with spotting from the air and transporting personnel…