LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A woman found dead on a Colorado hiking trail may have been killed by a mountain lion, authorities. It would be the state’s first fatal attack since 1999.

According to a news release from Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the attack occurred on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer County.

The woman was discovered on Thursday at about 12:15 p.m. MT when two hikers reported seeing a mountain lion near a person lying on the ground.

The hikers were able to scare the mountain away from the woman by throwing rocks at it.

One of the hikers was a physician, Colorado Parks & Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said during a news conference. He was unable to find a pulse on the victim.

The mountain lion “was acting protectively over the person when the two men saw it,” Van Hoose said.

The victim’s identity and cause of death will be released by the Larimer County Coroner.

It was unclear how many -- if any -- mountain lions were involved in the woman’s death.

Officers located one lion at the scene and shot it, but it ran away, the news release stated. It was tracked by officers and was euthanized.

A second mountain lion found in the area was also euthanized.

The agency said its policies mandate that animals suspected of attacks on humans must be euthanized to ensure public safety.

An investigation is ongoing.

According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, attacks by mountain lions in the state are rare. There have been 28 previous attacks reported to the agency since 1990, and the last fatality was reported in 1999.

According to the CPW website, there are a projected 3,800-4,400 mountain lions in Colorado, with populations growing since they were classified as a big game species in 1965.

The trail where the woman’s body was found is located approximately 70 miles northwest of Denver.

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