If I were a cougar, I would really like your yard!

By leaving your pet outside and unmonitored, you risk attracting predators such as cougars, wolves and coyotes into your yard. This endangers everyone living in this neighbourhood. Nobody wants a cougar wandering where their children may be playing. This notice has been forwarded to you by one of your concerned neighbours.

The Rocky Mountains are a special place to live, but with that comes a responsibility to reduce the potential for conflicts with wild animals. Recent attacks have helped bring attention to the problem of wild animals being attracted to urban areas. 

Mountain communities like ours have spent a great deal of  time and money in a continuing effort to reduce the townsites attractiveness  to animals like bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes. This is still not enough, and we must all take an active role in this struggle. Our goal must be to keep our wildlife wild--not wandering through our community. 

What can you do?

• Keep your pets indoors. While you may have left your pet in the backyard in the past, it's now time to start bringing it indoors. Cougars can easily kill the largest dog and leaving your pet out may prompt an attack. Also, be sure to keep your dog on a leash. Pets running free may provoke a cougar or wolf, and then lead it to you.

• Make sure you don't leave food or garbage outside. The strong smell of food or garbage may attract a carnivore into your back yard. Feed your pets indoors and keep your garbage securely stored. 

• Keep an eye on your children. Don't let your kids play unattended in the back yard, especially when carnivores are known to be in the area. You also want to keep your children away from dense bush which the cougar may use for cover.

• Make lots of noise. Just like bears, cougars and wolves will often retreat if given the opportunity. Walking in large groups, and making noise will give these animals the chance to retreat and reduce the likelihood of a sudden encounter. 

• Be cautious at dusk and dawn. Contrary to popular belief, most predators are most active at dusk and dawn. This is a time to be especially vigilant.