Colorado wildlife authorities haveended their search for mountain lionsalong a hiking trail where a woman was killed in amountain lion attackon New Year's Day, the state's first fatal attack since 1999.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife launched an extensive search for the mountain lion involved in the attack, and two mountain lions were found in the area of the Crosier Mountain Trail on Jan. 1. They were both euthanized in accordance with agency policy, Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, toldthe Coloradoan, part of the USA TODAY Network.
On Jan. 5, the state wildlife authorities said they ended an active search for a third mountain lion in the area. The agency said the trail was reopened to the public and advised visitors to report mountain lion sightings or incidents to wildlife authorities.
"(Colorado Parks and Wildlife) officers, federal agency staff and houndsmen with trained dogs searched thoroughly for more than 72 hours," the agency said ina news release. "No fresh tracks or scents were detected."
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Every year, USA TODAY Network photojournalists find beauty in wildlife within their local communities. Their visuals are both stunning and informative, allowing viewers an up-close look into the natural world, the challenges facing us and the humans who are attempting to conserve life on Earth. See USA TODAY'S Pictures of the Year 2025, beginning herewith a moorhen, framed by a rainbow reflected in the water, feeding at John Yarbrough Linear Park in Fort Myers, Fla., Sept. 22, 2025.
Two hikers discovered the woman's body on the Crosier Mountain Trail, just south of Glen Haven in Larimer County, at around noon local time on Jan. 1, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The trail is about 70 miles northwest of Denver.
The hikers, including a physician, saw a mountain lion lying over the woman from about 100 yards away, Van Hoose said. They threw rocks at the animal as they approached, and the mountain lion was scared away.
"It was acting protectively over the person when the two men saw it," Van Hoose said, adding that the physician attended to the woman but did not find a pulse.
Local coroner identifies victim killed in mountain lion attack
The Larimer County Coroner's Office said it responded to the Glen Haven Fire Station on Jan. 1 to investigate the death of a 46-year-old woman. The coroner's office confirmed that the woman was a victim of a fatal mountain lion attack at the Crosier Mountain Trail and had been transported to the Glen Haven Fire Station for safety measures.
On Jan. 5, the coroner's office identified the woman as Kristen Marie Kovatch, of Fort Collins, Colorado. Kovatch died of asphyxia due to having her neck compressed, the coroner's office said ina statement.
Her injuries were "consistent with a mountain lion attack," and her death was ruled an accident, according to the coroner's office.
"Our hearts go out to the victim's family," Mark Leslie, regional manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Northeast Region, said in a statement. "This is a terrible tragedy. This hiker did what many people did on New Year's Day."
"She went out in nature on the first day of a new year, and the fact that she did not return to her family and friends is nothing short of heartbreaking," Leslie continued. "We encourage the public to have compassion and empathy for her and her loved ones."
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Necropsy finds human DNA on euthanized male mountain lion
After the two hikers discovered the victim and called 911, state wildlife authorities said officers arrived at the scene and saw a male mountain lion approaching the area. The mountain lion was shot by an officer and ran off.
Wildlife officers and houndsmen then tracked the mountain lion, which was wounded by the earlier officer's shot, and euthanized it, according to the agency. A second mountain lion was also spotted in close vicinity to the scene and was euthanized by wildlife authorities.
Shortly after, officers observed a third mountain lion in the area and it was pursued by hounds, the agency said. But wildlife officers were unable to track and locate the mountain lion.
"Due to multiple lions present at the attack area and evidence found at the scene, (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) officers suspected a family group was responsible," the agency said in the news release.
Initial necropsy results revealed on Jan. 5 showed the two euthanized mountain lions were members of the same family group, consisting of an approximately one-year-old male and one-year-old female.
The necropsy found human DNA on all four paws of the male mountain lion, and no human DNA was detected on the female mountain lion, according to the agency. Both mountain lions tested negative for rabies.
"It is very unlikely that these lions were in such close proximity to the scene by coincidence," Leslie said. "This is not a decision we take lightly ... Given the gravity of this situation and the rarity of this type of behavior, this was a necessary, if unfortunate action."
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How rare are fatal mountain lion attacks?
Before the attack on Jan. 1, Van Hoose told the Coloradoan that there had been 28 mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado, including three that were fatal. The last incident — which was non-fatal — occurred in 2023 near the mountain town of Buena Vista, over 175 miles southwest of the Crosier Mountain Trail.
The state's last fatal mountain lion attack was in October 1999, when3-year-old Jaryd Atadero went missingwhile hiking with a group on the Big South Trail in the Roosevelt National Forest of Larimer County. His body was discovered by two hikers near where he was last seen in June 2003. The case resulted in extensive national and international media coverage.
According to the nonprofitMountain Lion Foundation, there have been about 30 reported fatal mountain lion attacks in North America since 1868. A 2011 study found mountain lion attacks are relatively rare, with about four to six per year in the United States and Canada.
In 2025, a4-year-old in Washington statewas bitten by a mountain lion, and an11-year-old was attackedby one outside her California home. In 2024, California had itsfirst fatal mountain lion attackin 20 years after a man was killed and his brother was injured in a remote region west of Lake Tahoe.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Search for mountain lions ends after hiker fatally attacked on trail
