A warning sign about mountain lions at the Anne U. White trailhead in Boulder, Colorado (KGNU / Abby O’Brien).
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- A CPW spokesperson and an animal rights activist weigh in on recent fatal mountain lion attack
On Jan. 1, a hiker near Glen Haven was killed in a mountain lion attack — the first fatal mountain lion attack Colorado has seen in over 25 years. The hiker was Kristen Marie Kovatch, a 46-year-old woman from Fort Collins.
In response, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers euthanized two mountain lions in the area. One of the lions, a 1-year-old male, was found to have human DNA on its paws. In light of the deadly incident, Mark Leslie, Northeast Region Manager for CPW, said the euthanasia “was a necessary, if unfortunate action.”
Wayne Pacelle is President of the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action. In 2024, his organization supported Colorado’s Proposition 127, which would have prohibited the killing of mountain lions. He argues that Colorado’s hunting policies destabilize the mountain lion population in a way that may exacerbate human lion-conflicts, citing a study by Animal Wellness Action’s director of veterinary sciences, Dr. Jim Keen…