BANFF – Cougars are hunting on the edges of the Banff townsite.
A pair of cougars took down a coyote in a forested area near the industrial compound on Wednesday (Jan 9), while hikers came within 50 metres of a cougar off the Sundance Canyon trail on Saturday (Jan. 12).
The sightings come on the heels of two cougars killing a young mule deer near the Banff Springs Hotel’s staff accommodation in late December, dragging it 100 metres into the forest to cache and prompting a 72-hour closure of the immediate area.
“There’s been a couple of sightings, but nothing to be alarmed about,” said Dan Rafla, a human-wildlife conflict specialist for Banff National Park. “The behaviour is not alarming; it’s low-risk.”
Cougars are solitary animals and are most active at dusk and dawn. Attacks on humans are rare.
In the latest incident, two hikers were coming down the Sundance Canyon trail toward the Cave and Basin National Historic Site on Jan. 12 when they saw a lone cougar dash across the trail about 100 metres in front of them.
Ralfa said the hikers indicated the cougar seemed indifferent to them and appeared to be more focused on hunting, adding many ungulates are in riparian area.
“As they got closer, they noticed the same cougar off the trail about 50 metres looking at them and walking parallel to them for short while,” he said, noting they immediately told staff at the Cave and Basin.
“We sent staff out, who were able to track the cat. It crossed the main trail a few times and went back into the Middle Springs-Sulphur corridor and away from the townsite.”
A few days earlier on Jan. 9, a pair of cougars was fleetingly spotted crossing the road near the industrial compound in the morning and later at dusk. It’s believed it’s likely a mother cougar with her young.
Parks staff tracked the cougar and came across a coyote carcass, but no sign of the cougars.
“It was freshly killed and consumed. The cougar made quick work of the carcass,” said Rafla.
A remote camera was set up in the area, but the cougars didn’t return.
“It’s likely they might have been the same as the ones that killed the deer near the Banff Springs staff accommodation,” said Rafla.
Though not their main prey base, it’s not uncommon for cougars to hunt coyotes if there’s opportunity.
“The night the coyote was killed there were elk in the area so they may have been attempting to get something else,” said Rafla.
Remote cameras and a winter tracking program help give Parks Canada a sense of where cougars and other carnivores are travelling.
Parks Canada asks that people report any cougar sightings immediately to 403-762-1470.
“It helps us paint a picture if there are any trends we should be concerned about, if an animal is becoming potentially more habituated, but that’s currently not the case,” said Rafla.
If you see a cougar, Parks Canada advices to face the cougar and retreat slowly, appear bigger by holding your arms or an object above your head, and immediately pick up small children.
“One of the big things is being in groups, which are always a better method to travel,” said Rafla, noting runners are advised not to wear ear buds when out in the evenings so they can be more aware of what’s around them.
