‘No risk to the public’ officials say, after report of possible cougar sighting at Edmonton park

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services responded to Terwillegar Park Wednesday, following a report of a possible cougar sighting.

A dog owner, who wishes to remain anonymous says she was walking through the trails by the river valley with her mom and dog, when they spotted the large cat.

“I was like ‘oh no, oh no, that’s a cougar, we need to get out of here’,” she says. “We’re about half way through the trail, kind of where it gets quiet by the river, and we stopped at a bench there, by a hill. We were just sitting there talking, and I just noticed it about 50 feet away from us, down the hill in the bush.”

Sgt. Marc Foisy with Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services confirms they did receive a report of a possible cougar sighting in the park, and responded to the area. However, officers were unable to locate a cat and can not confirm the sighting.

“We did send two officers to the location and they did assess if there was any risk. No risk was identified. We aren’t going to do anything with that complaint unless we get further sightings in that location. If we do, we will again respond and take whatever actions are necessary.”

While cougar sightings in Edmonton are rare, they are not unheard of. A professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, Colleen Cassady St. Clair says the river makes a good corridor for wildlife to travel through.

• READ MORE: What to do if you encounter a cougar

“The river valley is a wonderful corridor, we are very lucky to have it, but it does bring potential predators, like cougars, into closer proximity to people than would otherwise occur, and Terwilliger is quite well connected to the edge of the city,” she says. “This is a time of year where cougars are quite stressed in terms of food access, and they might be moving around a little bit more than usual.”

The dog owner who says she spotted the cougar is thankful they got away unharmed. “I scooped up my dog, and we just walked away. I was walking backwards for quite awhile just trying to make sure it wasn’t following us or stalking us in the woods,” she said.

“She did everything absolutely perfect, backed away quietly, didn’t bring attention to herself, and got away quietly. The biggest thing is giving the animal the space it needs,” says Sgt. Foisy.

St. Clair says it’s always a good idea for people to take extra precautions.

“That would involve looking around, and being aware of your surroundings. Keeping dogs on a leash and children nearby, and if a cougar is spotted again, being sure to report it to Fish and Wildlife.”