I read an interesting article in our local newspaper The Confederate, the other day. It was buried towards the back. Apparently the township of Wellington North paid a farmer in the town of Conn damages in the amount of $1400 for the loss of a cow due to predation. The township had sent out an investigator who determined based on tracks, that the cow had been killed and predated upon by a cougar. The township then submitted the claim to OMFARA for reimbursement. OMFARA sent an independent investigator who determined that while the cow was indeed consumed by a cougar, the cow died of a broken neck sustained in a fall while fleeing from the cougar. (OMFARA apparently has very sharp razors if they can split a hair that finely.) OMFARA denied payment because the cow was not actually killed by a predator and the township was left holding the bag.
The interesting thing to me was the clear evidence of a cougar in the Conn area. Both investigators confirmed a cougar was involved based on tracks and damage to the carcass. Conn is a very small town just east of Mount Forest.
