CALGARY – One dog is dead and another attacked by a cougar Wednesday, leaving two trails near Canmore temporarily closed.
Authorities with Alberta Parks confirmed with CTV News Thursday that they have closed two popular trails near Canmore to further investigate the incident, which took place Oct.2.
Alberta Environment and Parks officers were responding to a call from a woman who was walking her dog and was confronted by a cougar on a trail, who tried, unsuccessfully, to attack her dog.
According to ecologist John Paczkowski, the woman bear-sprayed the cougar and it ran off.
However, when officers arrived to investigate, they discovered a second woman, who told them the cougar had run off with her small dog, which was off-leash.
The officers were able to locate the underweight, male cougar, which was feeding on the small dog and kill it.
The cougar has been sent for a necropsy.
Alberta Parks have temporarily closed the Ha Ling Peak trail that overlooks the Town of Canmore as well as the East End of Rundle trail.
Officials say while the warning covers those areas, visitors need to be aware that cougars can be encountered anywhere in the Kananaskis region.
They are also providing a number of helpful tips for hikers to prevent any run-ins with cougars:
- Make plenty of noise and travel in groups
- Be aware of your surroundings and make sure to watch for signs of cougars
- Keep your pet on a leash at all times
- Report all sightings immediately by calling 403-591-7755
More information about cougar safety can be found online.
