In a tragic and exceedingly rare incident, 46-year-old Kristen Marie Kovatch of Fort Collins, Colorado, was killed by a mountain lion while hiking alone on the Crosier Mountain Trail in Larimer County on New Years Day. This marks the first fatal mountain lion attack on a human in the state of Colorado in over 25 years.
Kovatch, an avid hiker and ultramarathon runner originally from Texas, was on a remote section of the trail in the Roosevelt National Forest south of Glen Haven when the attack occurred. Around noon, two hikers discovered her body and spotted a mountain lion nearby. They threw rocks to scare the animal away, allowing one of them, who was a practicing physician, to approach and check for a pulse, but none was found.
An autopsy conducted by the Larimer County Coroner's Office confirmed the cause of death as asphyxia due to external neck compression, with injuries consistent with a mountain lion attack.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family,” said Mark Leslie, Regional Manager for CPW’s Northeast Region. “This is a terrible tragedy. This hiker did what many people did on New Year’s Day. She went out in nature on the first day of a new year, and the fact that she did not return to her family and friends is nothing short of heartbreaking. We encourage the public to have compassion and empathy for her and her loved ones.”
The area around Crosier Mountain, a scenic but rugged trail system northeast of Estes Park and near Rocky Mountain National Park, had seen heightened mountain lion activity in the months leading up to the incident. In recent months, Colorado Parks and Wildlife received at least five reports of lion sightings or attacks between late October and December of last year. As a precaution to the increase in activity, permanent warning signs were posted on the trails, and temporary ones added after specific encounters.
In response to the attack, CPW officers, along with local law enforcement and houndsmen, conducted an extensive search. Two young mountain lions (a 1-year-old male and female, believed to be siblings) were located and euthanized for public safety reasons, per agency policy. Necropsies revealed human DNA on all four paws of the male lion, confirming its involvement, while the female showed no such evidence. A search for a possible third lion lasted over 72 hours but yielded no further tracks or signs, and the trails were reopened to the public.
Attacks on humans remain extraordinarily rare: Since 1990, Colorado has recorded only 29 reported encounters, with this being the fourth fatality overall and the first since 1999.
Kovatch's family released a statement expressing profound grief: "We are devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of our beloved Kristen. She died doing something she loved deeply—hiking and taking in the beauty of Colorado and its public lands. Kristen was also an ultramarathon runner and someone who found joy and purpose in caring for animals."
CPW reminds outdoor enthusiasts to hike in groups, keep pets leashed, make noise on trails, know how to respond to lion encounters, and report them immediately.
“Timeliness is critical for tracking and responding to mountain lion conflicts,” said Jason Duetsch, CPW Area Wildlife Manager. “We encourage anyone to immediately report encounters with lions so CPW officers can have the most effective response.”
