The Larimer County Coroner’s Office confirms the recent death of a hiker was the result of a mountain lion attack.
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The woman, identified as 46-year-old Kristen Marie Kovatch of Fort Collins, was found on the Crosier Mountain Trail near Glen Haven on Jan. 1. Two other people hiking the trail managed to scare away a mountain lion by throwing rocks, but say Kovatch was unresponsive at that point.
First responders, including the Glen Haven Area Volunteer Fire Dept., Estes Park Police, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), responded to the scene. Following the incident, CPW tracked and euthanized two mountain lions in the area as a precaution, part of the agency’s standard practice.
Investigators were awaiting autopsy results at the time to confirm that her death was caused by an animal.
Necropsies were also performed on the two mountain lions euthanized. Both animals, a male and a female, were about a year old. Initial results found human DNA on all four paws of the male lion. Both animals tested negative for rabies.
Since the initial incident, others have come forward reporting aggressive mountain lions in that part of Larimer County.
CPW is still investigating the incident.
