A cougar chased down and killed a small, off-leash terrier on a trail above Eagle Terrace in Canmore, forcing conservation officers to once again warn the public to keep their pets on-leash.
At 7:30 p.m. on Monday (March 18), Fish and Wildlife officers responded to a call of a cougar stalking, then attacking, one of a family’s three dogs on an unnamed trail that branches off the Montane Traverse.
A local family of four hikers were out with their three small dogs when the large cat began stalking the dogs, which then split up. Two ran back to their owner. The cougar chased the third dog into the woods and the family fled the area.
District Conservation Officer Glenn Naylor scoured the area on Tuesday for the small terrier, but found very little.
“The cougar chased one (of the dogs) down. The last it was seen, the cougar chased the dog into the bush and hasn’t been seen since. We had a good look through the area and did find indication the dog had been killed,” Naylor said.
He found a slight blood trail and cougar tracks in the area and presumed the large cougar had killed the 10-pound dog.
The incident took place in the Bow Valley Wildland area next to the Benchlands neighbourhood, so wildlife officials decided not to relocate the cougar, noting off-leash dogs were the problem.
“We’re not planning on doing anything more than monitoring. This is a prime example once again. If these dogs had been on a leash, nothing would have happened,” Naylor said. “They could have backed away and left the area. There was a good chance nothing would have happened.”
The attack is still under investigation and Naylor said charges could be laid.
Officials are trying to determine if the family was inside or outside of the park at the time of the cougar attack. On top of keeping pets on-leash, they urge the public to use trails in groups, carry bear spray and carry a large walking stick.
The family hasn’t given up hope the dog is still alive and have posted signs asking for the public’s help in finding their dog.
A cougar killed a mule deer in the same neighbourhood two weeks ago, and there’s a strong likelihood this is the same cougar, Naylor said.
Canmore has seen a handful of cougar attacks on dogs in recent years. Nearly a year ago to the day, a cougar attacked a large on-leash dog on the trail across from Safeway. That dog survived when its owner kicked the cougar, chasing it away. Two years ago, a cougar killed a small off-leash dog named Princess in Harvie Heights.
Naylor stresses keeping dogs on-leash is the best way to prevent these attacks as well as protect wildlife.
“There is a requirement to have your dog on a leash in the Town of Canmore and in Alberta parks. It’s for the wildlife’s safety and it protects your pet. In the past few years we’ve had a few instances where dogs have been attacked by cougars. You don’t know when you’ll encounter one. Cougars view dogs as prey,” Naylor said.
It’s unknown if the cougar has killed other dogs, but Naylor said if the cat discovers dogs are easy prey, it could attack another. If that happens, the cougar could be relocated or killed.
“This could lead to this cougar being removed if it leads to killing dogs,” Naylor said.
Naylor is worried the next incident could take place on the Mount Lady MacDonald trail. That trail dries up quickly and attracts Bighorn sheep, which in turn attract cougars. Naylor said there have been two instances in the past of cougars attacking dogs on that trail.
Kim Titchener, education program director with Bow Valley WildSmart empathizes with the family, but says keeping pets on-leash is imperative.
“It’s really sad to hear another family pet taken. It’s becoming common now, because dogs are off-leash. We as a community have a lot of work to do,” Titchener said.
Many off-leash dog walkers are local residents, and Titchener said more resources are needed to educate them about the dangers of cougars.
“Some people feel it’s their right to walk their dogs off-leash, and others just don’t know the risk. Others will do it until they get caught. The fact is if you live in cougar and bear country, you have to make changes to your lifestyle.”
