Cougar Warning in Calgary after 6 Dogs Killed

Following the deaths of multiple pets at the hands of a cougar, Bragg Creek locals are keeping their dogs closer. Authorities think that a single, potentially wounded cougar is responsible for everything. Following the deaths of two dogs in Tsuu’tina and four dogs in Bragg Creek, traps and warning signs have been installed. The canines’ sizes vary, according to the neighbours.Rottweilers were among them. Dusk and dawn, when cougars hunt, coincided with all of the incidents.

Bragg Creek residents came across a stunning image of a cougar that had followed a local person into her deck in April. Even though this was a very uncommon incident, it was still important to be aware of cougars in the region and their traits, especially since they don’t hibernate like some of other wild animals. Numerous cougar encounters have occurred in recent months, such as those on the trails between Snagmore and Bobcat Creek near Bragg Creek, and most recently in October in Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, when a cougar approached a woman directly as she was hiking.

READ MORE: Bear Encounters in Canada: Good, Bad and the Ugly

Even before the recent attacks, according to longtime locals, they always kept their dogs leashed after dusk. Since there may be a habituated cougar nearby, they are now also utilizing leashes throughout the day. If your pets must go outside after dark, bring bear spray and a flashlight, according to officials, and keep them on leashes.

Are Cougars looking for more easy meal instead of running and hunting for it? It certainly appears so. Even recent deadly bear attack in Alberta that has cost two peoples lives involved attack on family dog. Is it because there is not enough pray animals in the wild or are recent attacks happening because the pet dogs are easy meal instead being hunting and guarding dogs as they used to be?

They’re large; a male cougar can grow to be eight feet long from nose to tail and weigh about 200 pounds. They are hence large cats but not considered “big cats.” They are quiet; unlike real huge cats, they cannot roar, but they can purr, and their offspring mimic domestic cats’ mewling sounds. They may be found from Canada all the way down to Patagonia and are the second largest cat in both North and South America (after the jaguar).

They are typically found in the interior of British Columbia, the southern and western regions of Alberta, and the coast of Vancouver Island. Even though you haven’t personally seen one, the cougar population in Kananaskis and Banff National Park is thought to be in good health.

Although cougars prefer to be alone, curious young males frequently approach more closely than more experienced ones. If they’re hungry, they’ll target smaller people and animals, such as medium- and large-sized canines, as has frequently occurred in the area over the years.