Alleged cougar sighting in Red Deer prompts safety tips from officials

RCMP attended the area, walked the trails, and didn’t find anything.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife also says it received the report and is monitoring the situation.

They say sightings close to residential areas should be reported to 1-800-642-3800.

“True cougar sightings are rare, as these animals are elusive and generally not found within heavily populated areas. However, it is important to know what precautions to take and what to do if you encounter a cougar,” a spokesperson for Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES) says.

“FWES recommends traveling in groups and carrying some form of protection, such as bear spray. If you see a cougar in the distance, do not run or turn your back. If the cougar appears to be unaware of your presence, gather children and pets in close, slowly and cautiously back away and leave the area.”

Todd Nivens, executive director with the central Alberta-based Waskasoo Environmental Education Society (WEES), says a cougar in the city has never been confirmed during his time in Red Deer.

“Part of them being exceedingly rare [in the city] is because of the balance between predator and prey. There are always more prey animals than there are predators in a balanced system, so it’s not unexpected that we don’t see them on a regular basis,” says Nivens.

“They are also not predators that easily habituate because they are active, and they need things to actively hunt. Urban environments don’t always provide that, and they also don’t do well around things like traffic, noise and machinery. They’re really elusive for those reasons, and really skittish.”

Nivens acknowledges, however, that the deer population in Red Deer this year is higher than in recent memory.

He also notes there are confirmed elk living east of the city.

“Cougars are at their most dangerous when they are healthy and hungry, so if this is a cougar that was seen, and if it’s well-fed, it wouldn’t surprise me that it wasn’t bothering people,” Nivens explains.

“But if they’ve got young, and they’re territorial on top of being hungry, or even if they’re sick, that’s when they can really be a danger to people and other animals, including pets.”

In 2023, a bear was spotted within the Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary, and several years ago, Nivens recalls, someone reported seeing an alligator or crocodile — which turned out to be a large fish — in the Blindman River.

The last time a cougar was allegedly seen in Red Deer was the first week of July 2020, but RCMP deemed those reports unfounded.

“We’re never going to tell anyone that they didn’t see what they think they saw,” Nivens says.

“For people who are using the area or any trail, it’s a really good reminder to keep your dogs on leashes, walk in pairs and keep your eyes peeled.”

rdnewsNOW has reached out to the Reddit user who posted about the cougar, but hasn’t heard back.

For more information about preventing human-wildlife conflict, visit https://www.alberta.ca/cougars.aspx.

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by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

Alleged cougar sighting in Red Deer prompts safety tips from officials

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