Human DNA was found on the paws of one of the lions that was killed after authorities searched for the animals involved in the of a Fort Collins woman near Estes Park.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife shared initial necropsy results on Monday, which show that one of the euthanized lions, an approximately 12-month-old male, had human DNA on all four of its paws, the press release stated. The other euthanized lion was an approximately 12-month-old female.
“I am thoroughly convinced that lion was involved in the attack,” Mark Leslie, regional manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s northeast region, said during a Monday evening news conference about the necropsy results.
Initial results also showed that the male was in good body condition and had no signs of organ abnormalities, the press release stated. Both mountain lions tested negative for rabies and other neurological diseases, CPW spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose said during the press conference.
The male subadult lion, which describes lions older than kittens, but not yet of breeding age, was shot by an officer near the incident area, but ran off, according to the press release. Officers tracked that lion, and the female, which was also seen in the area.
In the press conference, Colorado Parks and Wildlife mammal researcher Mat Alldredge said that the recent mountain lion incidents, including Thursday’s attack, and numerous other encounters reported since October, are not abnormal.
“We’ve seen a lot of situations over time where we get repeated sightings of individuals in certain areas and repeated incidences,” Alldredge said, adding that research shows that mother mountain lions with kittens are more likely to prey on dogs and be in closer proximity to humans because it provides steadier access to resources.
He added that although mountain lions are reclusive and subadults spend a lot of time without their mothers, they do often come together as a family, hence the sightings of more than one mountain lion at a time, he said.
There were multiple reports of mountain lion sightings near Glen Haven made to Colorado Parks and Wildlife since October, including reports of a few dogs that were attacked and killed by lions. Van Hoose said the amount of reports was consistent with prior years, adding that mountain lions follow deer and elk to lower elevations during colder months.
The rash of mountain lion attacks began on Oct. 28, when a mountain lion attacked and killed a dog in the 2000 block of McGraw Ranch Road in Estes Park, according to the press release. The next day, a mountain lion in Larimer County on West Creek Road attacked and killed a woman’s dog, Van Hoose said during the press conference.
A Glen Haven man, Gary Messina, was rushed by a mountain lion on Crosier Mountain Trail on Nov. 11, 2025, but successfully fought it off, according to The Associated Press. In the Monday press release, CPW detailed a similar incident, but stated it occurred on Nov. 12. The Reporter-Herald was unable to confirm which date was correct.
After the November attack, temporary signs warning of increased mountain lion activity were posted on the trail, but they were removed after a few weeks, according to the press release. Permanent signage with information on how to report mountain lion sightings and encounters are placed at the Crosier Mountain Trailhead, Van Hoose said during the press conference, but she could not confirm whether signage is placed throughout the trail.
Later that month, on Nov. 30, 2025, a man and a woman hiking near Crosier Mountain Trail summit reported that they saw two mountain lions in front of them, but were able to successfully haze the lions by yelling and throwing rocks, the press release stated. Temporary signage was again placed at the trailhead after that incident.
Days before Christmas, a man living on County Road 43 in Glen Haven reported that a mountain lion attacked his dog in his yard. The man shot and killed the 3-year-old adult male mountain lion and necropsy results showed that the lion did not have any abnormalities, according to the press release. Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists do not believe that lion was a parent to the subadults euthanized after the New Year’s Day attack, according to the press release. The man was not cited for killing the lion, according to the press release.
None of the incidents that happened before the New Year’s Day attack was announced before Monday. Van Hoose said CPW does not have a policy around alerting the public about nonfatal attacks on humans or any attacks on animals.
Earlier Monday, the woman who was was by the Larimer County Coroner’s Office as 46-year-old Kristen Marie Kovatch of Fort Collins. The autopsy revealed that her injuries were consistent with a mountain lion attack and her cause of death was asphyxia due to external neck compression, according to the release.
on the Crosier Mountain Trail, south of Glen Haven, spotted a mountain lion near Kovatch, who was lying on the ground, at around 12:15 p.m. Thursday. The hikers couldn’t find a .
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family,” Leslie, the CPW regional manager, stated in a Monday. “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.”
Authorities had been searching for a third mountain lion in the area but ended that effort Monday morning, Van Hoose wrote in an emailed statement. CPW officers believe a family of lions was responsible for the attack due to the presence of multiple lions at the scene, but during a press conference Monday evening, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff members said they did not know if the third lion near the scene was a mother or another sibling.
Also on Monday, U.S. Forest Service officials the Garden Gate, Gravel Pit and Piper Meadows trailheads around Crosier Mountain were reopen after being closed for multiple days following the suspected attack.
During the press conference, Van Hoose urged reporting mountain lion sightings and encounters as soon as possible, adding that it allows CPW officers to take swift action in locating mountain lions.
“We just want to know. We’re a data agency, so all data is good data to us,” Van Hoose said. “Tell us early and often.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offered a few tips in the press release for living with mountain lions, including being aware of the surroundings, recreating in groups and keeping children between adults, making sure dogs are on a leash, and being prepared to fight back.
