In a tragic incident in northern Colorado, a woman lost her life in what authorities suspect was a mountain lion attack, marking the first fatal encounter with the predator in the state in over two decades. She was hiking alone in the mountainous region on Thursday when the suspected attack occurred.

Later that day, wildlife officers, acting on the urgency of the situation, discovered and euthanized two mountain lions in the vicinity. Kara Van Hoose from Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed these actions, taken as part of the investigation into the incident.

The fatal encounter took place near the small community of Glen Haven, a picturesque area situated about seven miles northeast of Estes Park. This location serves as a gateway to the eastern entrance of the renowned Rocky Mountain National Park, drawing many outdoor enthusiasts.

Tragedy struck around noon when two hikers stumbled upon a mountain lion near the woman’s body on a secluded stretch of the Crosier Mountain trail, nestled within a national forest. Acting quickly, the hikers resorted to throwing rocks to drive the animal away, hoping to assist the woman.

One of these hikers, a physician, attended to the victim but, unfortunately, was unable to detect a pulse, as reported by Van Hoose. This event has cast a shadow over the community, highlighting the rare but real dangers of wildlife encounters in Colorado’s rugged terrain.

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.