Arizona Authorities Investigating Death Of Hiker Whose Remains Were Fed On By Three Mountain Lions

Three mountain lions found feeding on human remains near a hiking trail in Tuscon have been put down according to the authorities.

The lions were not suspected of killing the deceased individual on the trail. However, they were still determined to be a danger to the public, considering they showed no fear to the officers trying to dispose of the remains.

The area they were in the Coronado National Forest was closed for a day while officials tracked down and finally killed the mountain lions.

The authorities claimed investigations are still ongoing concerning what happened to the victim.

Game and Fish spokesman, Mark Hart, told media outlets they do not believe the lion attacked the individual that died there. An autopsy is going to reveal more concerning the circumstances. Their belief is the lions fed on the human remains after the fact.

The medical examiner is going to work towards identifying the name and cause of death of the person found off the Pima Canyon trail.

The trail at the base of Mount Lemmon was reopened on Wednesday after the lions were killed.

Raul Vega, the regional supervisor at the Arizona Fish and Game Department, told local media outlets the cougars were a clear and present danger towards public safety.

He also stated that mountain lions are not routine scavengers, so their act to eat the remains of a person is abnormal behavior. The ones that do this are more likely to attack people in the future.

The other thing is the lions did so very close to a hiking trail and within sight of homes. They were also not fearful of approaching officers meaning they were likely to attack people if the circumstances were right.

There were no details concerning the manner the lions were put own, though, the department claimed their bodies had been preserved as possible evidence within the investigation of the person's death.

An autopsy was slated to be done on Thursday.

Hart added that relocating the cats was not an option at the time. When a mountain lion is moved in that part of the world, it ends up getting into the territory of another mountain lion. They are also very territorial and would fight to the death over their jurisdictions.

There are believed to be up to 2700 mountain lions in Arizona presently.

They are usually shy and elusive, surviving on deer though there are rare times when attacks on humans occur.