Weeks before a hiker was found dead on the Crosier Mountain trail in northern Colorado, runner Gary Messina said he fought off a mountain lion by hitting it with a broken stick after the animal rushed and circled him. The New Year’s Day victim had wounds consistent with a mountain lion attack; wildlife officials euthanized two cougars and are searching for a third to test for disease. The Mountain Lion Foundation says this would be the fourth fatal North American attack in the last decade and the 30th since 1868. Experts urge precautions such as avoiding dawn and dusk and traveling in groups.
Runner Says He Fended Off Mountain Lion With Stick Weeks Before Fatal Attack On Same Colorado Trail
Runner fought off mountain lion with stick just weeks before fatal attack on same Colorado trail
Weeks before a hiker was found dead on the Crosier Mountain trail in northern Colorado in an incident officials say is consistent with a mountain lion attack, a runner described a harrowing encounter with a big cat on the same route.
A mountain lion at the Wildlife Rescue Center in Alajuela, Costa Rica, Sept. 16, 2024.
Gary Messina told reporters that while running on a dark November morning, a mountain lion rushed and circled behind him. Messina said he initially threw his phone at the animal to distract it, and after several minutes managed to break off a stick and strike the cat on the head, allowing him to escape.
This photo provided by Gary Messina shows a mountain lion in the brush between two trees along the Crosier Mountain trail in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Glen Haven, Colo., Nov 11, 2025.
"I had to fight it off because it was basically trying to maul me," Messina told The Associated Press. "I was scared for my life, and I wasn’t able to escape. I tried backing up, and it would try to lunge at me."
A Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman said a woman was later found dead on the same trail on New Year’s Day with "wounds consistent with a mountain lion attack." Kara Van Hoose said hikers observed a mountain lion near the person lying on the trail at about 12:15 p.m. from roughly 100 yards away.
Authorities suspect a lone woman hiker in Colorado was killed in a rare mountain lion attack on New Year's Day.
After the suspected attack, wildlife officials euthanized two mountain lions and are searching for a third to test for rabies or other disease. Authorities are investigating whether any of the animals are connected to Messina’s November encounter; Messina told investigators he thinks the cat that charged him could be the same animal involved in the New Year’s Day killing. Messina said he reported his November incident to officials days after it occurred and that wildlife warning signs were briefly posted on the trail.
Context and Safety Advice
Mountain lion sightings are common in parts of Rocky Mountain National Park, but aggressive incidents involving people are rare. According to the Mountain Lion Foundation, the New Year’s Day death would be the fourth fatal mountain lion attack in North America in the past decade and the 30th since 1868. Officials noted this is the first suspected fatal mountain lion mauling in the region in more than 25 years; the last recorded fatality occurred in 1999.
Conservation experts stress that increased interactions reflect growing overlap between human activity and wildlife habitat, not a sudden change in mountain lion behavior. To reduce risk, wildlife specialists recommend avoiding dawn and dusk when cougars are most active, traveling in groups, and staying alert. If you encounter a mountain lion, maintain eye contact, try to appear as large as possible, slowly back away without turning your back, and do not run.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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