Search ongoing for a third mountain lion in Northern Colorado after fatal attack that left woman dead

Wildlife officials believe a mountain lion may have killed a woman in Northern Colorado. Hikers found the woman on the Crosier Mountain Trail south of Glen Haven on New Year's Day and authorities tracked down and euthanized two mountain lions afterwards.

A day later, officers were searching for another mountain lion that may have been involved in the attack. That's according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

CPW spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose said that while Thursday's suspected attack is tragic, it's not at all common.

"Anytime somebody goes to enjoy the outdoors in Colorado and doesn't return to their family, it's very sad," said Van Hoose.

 The last time someone was attacked in Colorado was in 2023, and the last time someone was killed was in 1999 when 3-year-old Jaryd Atadero went missing during a hiking trip in Larimer County. But CPW says that doesn't mean you shouldn't be cautious if you recreate outdoors.

"You could encounter wildlife -- not just mountain lions, but it could be bears, could be moose. Really, any time of year, you should be prepared to have those wildlife encounters while you're on trails," said Van Hoose.

Winter is the time of year CPW gets the most calls about mountain lion sightings.

"Deer and elk spend their winters down here along the Front Range at lower elevations, where food is easier to come by. So, lions naturally follow them," said Van Hoose.

But they say while mountain lions do attack humans, we aren't their preferred prey. In fact, far from it. But if you spend time outdoors you probably have been closer to a cat than you may realize.

"Lions are very good at hiding. So very often lions will see you, but you won't see them," said Van Hoose.

To keep yourself safe outdoors, CPW says be attentive and look for signs a cat may be around.

"You can look for lion tracks, you can look for scat, that sort of thing. If you do come across maybe a deer or an elk that's been killed and it looks like it's been buried a little bit -- that's what's known as a cache," said Van Hoose.

And if you see one, they say be as loud, big and mean-sounding as possible.

"Lions, really, for the most part, do not want anything to do with humans," said Van Hoose.