A cougar warning has been posted for Mosquito Creek – an area of Banff National Park that has had very few reported cougar sightings in the last two decades.
Parks Canada says a father and son spotted the wild cat Sunday evening (July 22) in a small clearing about 75 metres from the edge of the north end of the Mosquito Creek campground.
“The son made some noise to alert the cougar to his presence and then the cougar fled,” said Omar McDadi, spokesman for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay.
“It hasn’t done anything unusual that would cause us any concern.”
The campers alerted the campground host, who in turn notified Parks Canada. The cougar later returned to the clearing, prompting Parks Canada to issue the warning.
Cougars are elusive and solitary and will typically try to avoid confrontation, but they can prove dangerous if surprised, cornered, feeding on a kill, or accompanied by kittens.
The largest of the three wild cats in Canada, significantly bigger than the lynx and bobcat, they can become habituated to people’s presence and take up residence near towns and campgrounds, especially if there’s a lot of prey.
According to Parks Canada’s wildlife database from 1981 to 2011, there have only been nine reported sightings of cougars on Highway 93 North in Banff National Park.
The most recent was at Nigel Bridge in 2008, while there were two sightings in 2006 near Hector Lake. That said, Parks says there have been other sightings in the last year near Saskatchewan Crossing.
Parks Canada offers the following advice if you encounter a cougar at close range:
• never approach a cougar
• face the animal and retreat slowly; do not turn and run, as this may trigger the cougar’s chase instinct;
• do not play dead or crouch down;
• talk in a calm voice;
• do all you can to make yourself look bigger, hold your arms or an object above your head;
• Immediately pick up small children;
• free-roaming pets may attract and be attacked by cougars; keep dogs on a leash at all times and bring pets inside at night.
If you feel threatened or if an attack is imminent:
• be aggressive, shout, wave sticks, throw rocks;
• convince the cougar that you are a threat, not prey;
• fight back using anything available to deter the attack;
Parks Canada asks that any cougar sightings – including the time, place, behaviour, reaction to people and direction of travel – be reported to dispatch at 403-762-1470.
