Our Big Cat

Cougars have always been one of the symbols of wilderness. Many people spend their lives within cougar habitat and never see one in the wild. Wary of humans, they will know of our approach long before we get within visual range. Of course, not many people want to get too close to 70 kg of retractable claws and sharp teeth anyway.

The Rockies are cougar country, and visitors are surprised to learn we have a very healthy population in the mountains. In  Kananaskis Country, studies have estimated populations at 30-35 individuals per 1000 km² and these numbers are thought to be on the increase. During an interview on CBC radio, biologists Ian Ross and Martin Jalkotzy stated that population studies are very important for animals like the cougar, particularly with its status as a big game animal.

To capture cougars for study, biologists adopt strategies utilized by hunters. Since the chances of tracking a cougar are slim, they employ hunting dogs trained to follow the cougar's scent. Very effective at tracking large cats, they chase the cougar until it is treed and keep it there until the biologists arrive. The cat is then tranquilized and radio collared. In the Kananaskis study, 70 cougars were collared in this way and by tracking their movements, biologists learned vital facts about their reproductive strategies, range, and preferred prey. These are only a few of the important things studies like these teach us. In one case they collared a female with a small kitten. Within a few years that kitten had become an adult and had its first litter of kittens, very near to where its grandmothers home range was. There were three generations living virtually on each others doorstep. Generally the kittens will disperse up to 100 km from their birthplace, but the actual distance will depend upon a number of factors. The availability of range forces them to squeeze into available ranges, each of which may be upwards of 300km² for a large male.

True carnivores, cougars eat just about any animal they can sink their teeth into. Their favourite seems to be deer but they also take bighorn sheep, elk and even adult moose. They usually stalk to within 15 metres of their intended victim and when ready, attack suddenly. Diving for the neck, the impact may be violent enough to break the victims neck, but if not, the throat is quickly torn open and the animal dragged away to be consumed in privacy. If there is too much meat to be consumed in one sitting, the carcass is routinely covered with debris to hide it for future meals.