By Alice McFarlane

Researcher seeks public input on cougar sightings

Dec 23, 2022 | 3:00 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – A University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher is building a database to determine the whereabouts of cougars.

Tammie Windsor is the lead for the Prairie Cougar Research Project at the USask College of Arts and Science.

Windsor is asking the public to share their observations of cougar evidence in the province.

“I will be collecting reports for the duration of the project, or two and a half years,” Windsor said. “This can include recent and historical evidence of sightings, photos, videos, scat, tracks, injured or dead animals from cougar predation, and carcasses of cougars.”

The project database is created from the information received in each report for geo-referencing onto a map. Windsor will use the information to analyze population distribution, abundance, habitat selection, and other ecological factors.

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Despite extensive research on cougars throughout North America, Saskatchewan cougars have received minimal attention due to an assumption of having few cats. An increase of reports from the public and accounts of GPS-collared cats travelling through the province suggests a larger population than originally suspected.

Windsor said the success of the project heavily relies on the public to report their observations.

“This baseline study could serve as a jumping off point for more technical research once we know the location and abundance of cougars throughout the province,” Windsor said. “This project would link the research together from other provinces on how cougars are utilizing the landscape.”

The Prairie Cougar Research Project is sponsored by the USask Department of Biology’s Animal Population Ecology Lab. The project supervisor is Dr. Philip McLoughlin.

To report evidence of a cougar sighting within Saskatchewan, please contact Tammie Windsor at sk.cougars@usask.ca or 306-713-3639.

You can also fill out a survey here.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW