Mountain Lions Killed After Feeding on Human Remains on Hiking Trail

Three mountain lions have been killed after authorities found them feeding on human remains in Arizona on Monday.

The lions were not suspected of killing the person, but remained a threat as they showed no fear of officers attempting to remove the remains, according to Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Nobody knows who the dead person is yet.

"A mountain lion eating human remains is abnormal behavior. Those that do are more likely to attack a human being in the future," Regional Supervisor Raul Vega told KVOA. "In addition, they did so 50 yards from a popular hiking trail and within sight of homes, and repeatedly showed no fear of responding officers. They were a clear and present danger to public safety."

A portion of the Coronado National Forest was closed off for a day as authorities tried unsuccessfully to trap the animals.

"We thought the risk was too great and we had to take action," Mark Hart with the Arizona Game and Fish Department said. "Mountain lions are not routinely scavengers. Mountain lions prefer live prey and they're very good at killing live prey. And there's abundant javelina and deer in the Catalina foothills so why it happened in this case, we're just not sure."

Authorities ended up lethally removing an adult female and two younger lions. Officials say they are confident they put down the correct animals due to photographic evidence from the area "as well as scat and tracks that matched paw prints found on site."

The lions are being preserved as they may contain evidence in the case.

An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday to determine the cause of the death of the person found on the Pima Canyon Trail.