Cougar in a tree excites neighbourhood

DEAR EDITOR:

Annoyed by his dog’s incessant barking, “Garry” (not his real name) looked out the kitchen window to see what the fuss was about. It was sunrise on May 25, and he couldn’t believe his eyes.

He watched in amazement as a young cougar strolled down his driveway. The place was just off of Rittich Road in the

Ellison district.

When the 18-month-old wild cat sensed it had been spotted, it swiftly clambered up a nearby 11-metre spruce tree. Once the cat reached the top, it sat quietly with its back to them.

“You’re never going to believe what I am looking at,” the neighbour exclaimed to Norm Duncan on the phone.

“Come quick if you want to see a cougar,” Garry said before hanging up. Norman and his wife, Lenore, hopped in the truck and came straight away to check it out.

The puma thought it was hiding in the thick green branches; however, its long twitching tail betrayed it.

Garry phoned for assistance and some conservation officers were dispatched. Hence, the trio sat safely in their vehicles until help arrived.

After the officer shot the animal with a tranquillizer gun, it rested on the branches, and dropped onto a tarp held up by the men. They quickly blindfolded the unconscious animal and inspected its body. They found the young female to be in good shape with a healthy coat. The officers took some blood samples and put a tracking collar on it.

From here-on-in, the device would transmit a signal every two hours, revealing the cat’s location. The game wardens then loaded up the creature; put it in a crate and drove away, only to let it loose nearby.

Every mountain lion has its own territory and this one may have still been with its mother, as they raise their cubs until they’re 18 to 24 months old. However the queens only nurse them the first seven weeks of life.

A female kitten has a better chance of staying alive than her brothers, but it was imperative to keep her in her home range, because cougars are territorial.

Toms will defend their area from trespassers, and this youngster wouldn’t stand a chance.

Before parting, the officers asked the Duncans to tell their neighbours to keep their pets and other smaller animals in a shelter at night.

That is sound advice for everyone.

Doreen Zyderveld-Hagel, Kelowna