Puma suspected of killing woman on Colorado hiking trail

The woman has marks that appear to indicate an attack by a puma, but a final determination will come after an autopsy next week.

If a puma, also known as a mountain lion, is indeed behind the death, experts say it would be the first time since 1999 that a human has been killed by the animal in Colorado, and the fourth case in the last ten years.

Predator control officers have found and killed two cougars near the site where the woman was found on New Year's Day. It is unclear if either was involved; the animals will be tested for rabies, among other things. A nearby hiking trail is closed as authorities search for a third cougar, which was also seen near the site.

There are between 3,800 and 4,400 mountain lions in Colorado, and the animals are often seen in the Rocky Mountains, but attacks on humans are very rare.