Overview
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife ended a more than 72-hour effort to locate a third lion and reopened the Crosier Mountain Trail with educational safety signage.
- Necropsy findings showed human DNA on all four paws of the euthanized subadult male lion, none on the female, and testing ruled out rabies or other neurological disease.
- Investigators believe the two euthanized cats were littermates in a family group present at the scene, with a third lion seen but not located.
- Two hikers discovered the victim near Glen Haven around midday on Jan. 1, scared a nearby lion away by throwing rocks, and a physician among them could not find a pulse.
- Officials emphasize such attacks are rare in the state, noting this is the first fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado since 1999 after months of increased local encounters and prior trailhead warnings.