ESTEVAN - Police and conservation officers in Estevan responded quickly after a cougar was spotted in southwest part of the city.
Officers were unable to locate or confirm the cougar sighting, and no further sightings were reported to police or conservation officers.
Conservation officer Jordan Kreutzer said the caller's description was "very spot-on", but the case remains unconfirmed because they couldn't find a track or sighting of the big cat.
Cougar sightings are not common but not unheard of, either, he said. The last confirmed instance was in the summer of 2022, when one of the animals was spotted on a camera southwest of the city.
"Cougars are a natural part of our landscape down here. Cougars, along with other wildlife, use our river valleys as natural corridors. So, we have the Souris River valley and we have the valley that runs through town, and they often just pass through it on their way hunting deer or other small game," Kreutzer said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday.
There have been reports of sightings since 2022, he said, but all were unconfirmed or false.
Kreutzer stressed the woman who called about the cougar did the right thing. She immediately called the police to say that she saw a cougar. The EPS then notified conservation officers and they responded in a timely fashion. The caller was able to get out of the area without a "human-wildlife conflict" taking place.
Cougars and other large wildlife are shyer and warier of humans than many might think, he said. If they encounter a cougar, Kreutzer encouraged people to make themselves look large, and create lots of noise when hiking and walking. Should someone see a cougar, they shouldn't run.
"There's a natural predator-prey instinct. Walk away backwards, slowly, while making noise and making yourself seem bigger," said Kreutzer.
He compared it to a domestic animal, such as a dog or a cat. If you run or throw a toy, then it becomes a game to the animal and instincts kick in.
EPS Deputy Police Chief Warren Morrical said the local police receives reports of moose and deer in town from time to time, and depending on the nature of the occurrence, members will attend to confirm that there is no public safety concerns, to escort the animal out of town if it's on the outskirts, or contact conservation officers to come in and take a look at tranquilization if it's a large animal.
"As I recall, a number of years ago we tranquilized a small moose that was actually in a backyard, and would have done more damage if we tried to just allow it to get itself out. We do work in conjunction with conservation officers quite often when there are animals reported in town," said Morrical.
He echoed Kreutzer's statement that the woman who filed the report handled the situation properly by calling the authorities.
"We can confirm public safety is upheld, we can identify if … in fact is it a cougar or a large cat type of thing, and identify if there's any way that we need to intercede to ensure that the animal is kept safe and the public is kept safe as well."
If someone has an encounter with aggressive wildlife, Kreutzer encouraged them to call the Turn-in Poachers line at 1-800-667-7561. If there's an immediate risk to public safety, people can also call 911. Other reports about nuisance wildlife can be directed to the Ministry of Environment's general inquiry line at 1-800-567-4224.
