A tragic incident unfolded in northern Colorado on Thursday as a woman lost her life in what is suspected to be a mountain lion attack, marking the first fatal encounter of this kind in the state in over 25 years, according to authorities.

Later that day, wildlife officers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife tracked down and euthanized two mountain lions found near the scene, spokesperson Kara Van Hoose reported.

The fatal attack took place in the mountainous area south of Glen Haven, a small community situated approximately 7 miles northeast of Estes Park, known as the gateway to the eastern entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Two hikers discovered the woman’s body on a secluded stretch of the Crosier Mountain trail, part of a national forest, shortly before noon. They also encountered a mountain lion nearby.

In an effort to assist the victim, the hikers hurled rocks to deter the mountain lion from the vicinity. One of the hikers, a physician, attempted to provide medical aid but unfortunately found no pulse, Van Hoose stated.

Details on the woman’s injuries and cause of death were not immediately released.

Van Hoose said the search for other mountain lions in the area was ongoing. She said circumstances would dictate whether any additional lions that are found are killed.

Sightings of mountain lions are common in the forested area where the suspected attack occurred, but there have not been any recent documented attacks on humans, Van Hoose said.

“This is a very common time of year to take mountain lion sightings and reports and especially in Larimer County, where this is very good mountain lion habitat,” she said. “Trails in this area are in pretty remote land, so it’s wooded, it’s rocky, there’s elevation gains and dips.”

Mountain lion attacks are rare and Colorado’s last suspected fatal attack was in 1999, when a 3-year-old was killed. Two years before that, a 10-year-old boy was killed by a lion and dragged away while hiking with family members in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Last year in Northern California two brothers were stalked and then attacked by a lion that they tried to fight off. One of the brothers was killed.

The animals, also known as cougars, catamounts and other names, can weigh 130 pounds (60 kilograms) and grow to more than six feet (1.8meters) long1. They eat primarily deer.

Colorado has an estimated 3,800-4,400 of the animals, which are classified as a big game species in the state and can be hunted.