Woman Killed in Suspected Mountain Lion Attack in Colorado; Rangers Fatally Shoot Two Lions
A woman was killed in a suspected Colorado mountain lion attack, the first fatal encounter in over 25 years. Wildlife officers fatally shot two lions.
Overview
On the Crosier Mountain trail near Estes Park, hikers found a woman dead after a suspected mountain lion encounter, a rare fatal mountain lion event in Colorado.
Wildlife officers tracked and fatally shot two mountain lions in the surrounding area as part of the response to the incident and ongoing safety concerns.
Hikers aided the victim by throwing rocks to scare the animal and summoned medical help, though a pulse was not found.
Colorado mountain lion encounters are rare; the last suspected fatal incident in the state occurred in 1999, involving a young child.
Officials said the decision to kill more lions would be guided by the circumstances of the encounter, animal behavior, safety data, and updates from the ongoing investigation.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources are neutral in this coverage. They avoid loaded language and do not privilege a viewpoint; instead, they present official statements from CPW spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose, describe the sequence of events, note the rarity of fatal attacks, explain policy on euthanising involved animals, and provide contextual information from the Mountain Lion Foundation.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The attack occurred on January 1, 2026, on the Crosier Mountain trail near Estes Park in Larimer County, Colorado.
Hikers threw rocks to scare the mountain lion away from about 100 yards, and a physician among them checked and found no pulse on the victim. Wildlife officers tracked and fatally shot two mountain lions in the area.
This is the first fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado in over 25 years; the previous ones were in 1999 (a child), 1997 (a boy in Rocky Mountain National Park), and 1991 (a jogger near Idaho Springs).
Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimates the statewide population of independent mountain lions (not including kittens) at around 3,800-4,400.
If encountering a mountain lion, do not run; instead, make yourself appear larger, make noise, and throw objects if it behaves aggressively. Contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife or local authorities immediately after any encounter or attack.
History
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