The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Saskatchewan is home to three members of the wild cat family. They are the lynx, the bobcat and the cougar, which is North America's largest cat. Cougars have always existed in Saskatchewan although, like many predators and big game species, their numbers dropped dramatically following the European settlement of the prairies. The animals are so elusive no one knows for sure how many exist here and throughout North America; however, it is estimated that Saskatchewan now has a population of about 300 cougars. They range throughout most of the southern parts of the province and as far north as La Ronge. The range is a reflection of the availability of major prey species, good quality habitat and large areas of the province that don't have a lot of everyday human activity. "Cougars need a steady supply of game to live so their presence is a symbol of a healthy environment," says Saskatchewan Environment's Wildlife Manager, Shawn Burke. "Cougars are secretive and elusive and do most of their hunting at dusk and dawn. Although a fully grown cat is capable of killing an elk or small moose they prefer much smaller prey such as deer, raccoons, porcupines, beaver, foxes, coyotes, rabbits, waterfowl, grouse, mice and even ground squirrels." Cougars prefer to go after deer. An adult cougar needs the equivalent of 14 to 20 deer per year while a female with cubs requires as many as 50. "Cougars, like other predators, play an important role in nature," says Environment's Burke. "They usually take the old, very young or weak animals that are susceptible to disease or starvation. They also force the animals to move so they don't concentrate in one area, which can also increase the risk of starvation." Even though cougars are protected in Saskatchewan, farmers and ranchers are allowed to protect their livestock by killing problem predators. They can also access the services of a trained trapper through the Saskatchewan Livestock Predation Program, which is administered by the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board. One of the challenges many people face is identifying a cougar. In Saskatchewan most cougars are about two metres in length, stand about a metre tall at the shoulder and have long tails. Their short fur can range from a light grey-brown to a dark reddish-brown. Young cougars have spots and ringed tails. Cougars typically avoid people so it is rare to get even a brief glimpse of one. "We get a lot of calls from people reporting that they have seen a cougar and we check out each one," says Environment's Burke. "However, in the majority of cases it turns out that the sighting was more likely something else. Our investigations of reported cougar sightings have found evidence of many different animals including dogs, house-cats and even deer." See 'Cougar' on pg. Continued from pg. If you do encounter a cougar there are some things you can do to reduce the potential danger. Stay calm and do not approach the animal. Do not run. Face the animal, stand up straight and make yourself look as large as possible while backing away. Try to convince it you are no prey by shouting and throwing whatever you can reach without crouching or turning away. In the unlikely event that one does attack, fight back, using whatever you can get your hands on. Statistics show that attacks by cougars are rare. In the 114 years between 1890 and 2004 cougars attacked 80 people in all of North America. Twenty of those attacks were fatal. Those risks are low compared to some others. For example, every year domestic dogs kill 17 people and injure 300,000 more; 8,000 people are injured by snake bites and 15 die; and in the U.S. an average of 100 people a year are killed by lightning.
