Diana Bober, an extinct hiker from Oregon, "killed by a cougar" in the Welches Forest

A rare cougar attack has caused the death of a missing hiker, whose body was found this week, the police believe.

Search and Rescue teams found the body of 55-year-old Diana Bober on a trail in an Oregon forest on Monday, several kilometers from the car last week.

Mrs. Bober was a passionate hiker who often walked in the Mount Hood and Columbia River Gorge area. His body showed injuries consistent with a cougar attack, according to the police.

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A medical examiner also ruled out the possibility that the woman would be injured after having died from another cause.

Sergeant Brian Jensen stated that DNA samples taken from the scene were flown by Oregon State Police to a laboratory at the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ms. Bober was last heard by her family and friends on August 29th. She was reported missing on Friday and is still unclear when she started her hike, Sgt Jensen said.

Oregon wildlife officials are trying to find and kill the animal, he said.

"This is an unprecedented event in Oregon," said Brian Wolfer, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"We do not know what risk it presents to the public."

The authorities warned a local school district of the attack and advised other hikers to stay out of the area.

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First fatal attack of the cougar this year

The death of the woman marks the first fatal attack by a wild cougar in Oregon and the second in the Pacific Northwest this year.

There are approximately 6,600 cougars – also commonly referred to as mountain lions or cougars – throughout Oregon. According to the authorities, state wildlife officials receive about 400 animal complaints each year.

Cougars may be killed by owners or law enforcement officers when they pose a threat to human safety or damage to livestock or agricultural crops. They can also be hunted.

In the last ten years, about 20 cougars have been killed each year in the Wildlife Management Area.