Suspected mountain lion attack in Colorado leaves woman dead

A woman was found dead Thursday on a hiking trail in northern Colorado, in what authorities believe to be a rare fatal mountain lion attack.

Hikers on the Crosier Mountain trail in Larimer County spotted a mountain lion near a person lying on the ground around 12:15 p.m., according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The hikers drove the animal away by throwing rocks before finding the victim had no pulse.

“Mountain lion attacks in Colorado are considered to be very rare,” CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said at a news conference. While 28 previous attacks have been reported to CPW since 1990, the last fatal attack was in 1999, the agency said.

The Larimer County coroner is expected to release the victim’s identity and cause of death, Van Noose said.