A solo hiker was believed to have been killed by a mountain lion on a Colorado trail on New Year’s Day, marking a rare incident as the last fatal attack in the state occurred in 1999. Previously, another hiker, Gary Messina, had a close encounter with a mountain lion on the same trail, which he managed to fend off. Authorities tracked and killed two mountain lions in the area, with investigations ongoing to determine if they were involved in the attack. Wildlife officials noted that as human activity increases in lion habitats, encounters may rise, but attacks remain infrequent.
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