A hiker is believed to have been killed by at least one mountain lion in the US state of Colorado on Wednesday, according to wildlife officials.
If confirmed, it would be the first fatal attack there since 1999.
A group of hikers found the woman's body on a remote trail and spotted a lion nearby. After scaring the predatory cat off, they checked the body and could find no pulse, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said.
It is not known if one or multiple animals were involved in the attack, she added. Two mountain lions have been euthanised after an extensive search, and investigators are currently studying them for signs of human DNA.
The hikers had thrown rocks at the mountain lion to drive it away, Ms Van Hoose told a press conference. CPW officers responding to the scene shot the lion, which ran off. They then tracked it to euthanise it.
