Edmonton, Alberta

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cougar caught on vandal cam in city park

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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonto ... 55853.html


Wed, November 14, 2007
Dangerous cougars prowling Edmonton
Officials say numbers of the big cats are up

By FRANK LANDRY, CITY HALL BUREAU


There are a growing number of cougars on the prowl in Edmonton.
And wildlife officials say residents living near the river valley, ravines and outer edges of the city – where the animals tend to roam – should be cautious.

“If you have a pet, definitely. If you have a small child as well,” Darcy Whiteside, a spokesman for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, told Sun Media.

There have been 26 reported cougar sightings in the Edmonton area so far this year and 33 in 2006, according to figures provided by the province.



A city surveillance camera recorded a cougar roaming a secured lot. (Supplied)
(Best viewed with Flash Player 8 or higher)

But Whiteside said cougars are very good at hiding, and seeing one can relate as much to luck as numbers in an area.

Glyn Williams, with the city’s pest management unit, said while there are no hard numbers on how many cougars pass through Edmonton, sightings reported to the city are on the rise.

“They’re much more frequent now than they’ve ever been,” he said.

However, Williams said officials can’t always confirm what people are seeing are actually cougars.

He noted in one case, someone sent in a photo of what they believed to be cougar print. In fact, the tracks were made by a large dog.

But there have been confirmed sightings.

In September 2006, a city surveillance camera recorded a cougar roaming in a river valley park. The camera, activated by a motion sensor, was set up to catch vandals.

Williams declined to reveal where the device was located.

“I don’t want to start alarming people about river valley parks.”

Whiteside said in August, there was another confirmed sighting in Goldstick Park, near the North Saskatchewan River in the east end of the city.

“Cougars are the big story this year,” he said.

Whiteside said wildlife officials believe mild winters have helped drive up the population of deer, as well as other mammals cougars prey on. That’s helped the cougars thrive across the province.

With the city rapidly expanding, Whiteside said people are also moving into areas traditionally occupied by wildlife.

“It’s not like there’s a cougar around every corner,” he said. “But if you’re in an area and you see a deer, that’s an area where there can be large predators as well, such as cougars.”

Cougars are “elusive masters of camouflage,” typically avoiding contact with humans, according to information provided by the province.

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development advises people who live in rural communities or near wooded areas to take precautions to avoid encounters.

That includes encouraging children to play in supervised groups away from vegetation. Pet owners are also advised to walk animals only during the day.

“Dogs and cats are easy prey for any predators,” the department states on its website. “Pets are vulnerable to many hazards if you let them roam freely.”

frank.landry@sunmedia.ca