A hiker was probably killed in Oregon's first deadly attack

Authorities in the US state of Oregon have determined that a missing woman found dead near a hiking trail was probably killed by a cougar.

The body of 55-year-old Diana Bober, who has disappeared since August 29, was found near Mount Hood on Monday.

Officials from the Oregon Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday that an autopsy had revealed injuries consistent with a large animal attack and that DNA samples were being tested.

If this were confirmed, it would be the first fatal attack of wild state cougars.

"At this point, everything suggests that a cougar is responsible," Oregon Fish and Wildlife spokesman Brian Wolfer told reporters at a news conference.

Cougars, also called mountain lions, panthers or pumas, are part of the family of wild cats. They live across the Americas, from British Columbia to Argentina.

Mr Wolfer noted that there was a "slim possibility" that something else was responsible, however, officials are analyzing the DNA to make sure that it is a cougar that killed the hiker.

He did not say when the results would be published, but said the wildlife authorities were looking for the cougar, which they say is responsible for Bober's death.

"We do not believe that the threat posed by cougars to the public is greater today than yesterday, however, we do not know and can not quantify the threat that this animal can cause," he said. said Mr. Wolfer.

Bober was reported missing by his family last month. On September 8, officers from the Gresham Police Department found his car near a guard post and launched a search mission to the area.

His body was found three kilometers Monday. Authorities say the attack probably occurred a few days before its discovery.

Wildlife authorities have requested that the public avoid the area, and the Hunchback Trail where Bober's body was found was closed while the authorities are hunting the animal.

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Mount Hood National Forest is located about 40 miles southeast of the city of Portland.

Oregon is home to about 6,600 cougars, Wolfer said, adding that his agency receives more than 400 complaints a year from cougars threatening livestock or pets.

The last fatal incident involving the cougar in the state occurred in a large animal reserve, when a guard was mutilated to death while cleaning the animal's enclosure.