Colorado wildlife authorities have ended their search for mountain lions along a hiking trail where a woman was killed in a mountain lion attack on New Year's Day, the state's first fatal attack since 1999.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife launched an extensive search for the mountain lion involved in the attack, and two mountain lions were found in the area of the Crosier Mountain Trail on Jan. 1. They were both euthanized in accordance with agency policy, Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told the Coloradoan, part of the USA TODAY Network.
On Jan. 5, the state wildlife authorities said they ended an active search for a third mountain lion in the area. The agency said the trail was reopened to the public and advised visitors to report mountain lion sightings or incidents to wildlife authorities.
"(Colorado Parks and Wildlife) officers, federal agency staff and houndsmen with trained dogs searched thoroughly for more than 72 hours," the agency said in a news release. "No fresh tracks or scents were detected."
Two hikers discovered the woman's body on the Crosier Mountain Trail, just south of Glen Haven in Larimer County, at around noon local time on Jan. 1, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The trail is about 70 miles northwest of Denver.
