Cougar/Puma in the Rouge.

[Kin Lau]

I've seen various news references and the sightings map also indicates that there's possibly a Puma/Cougar in the Rouge Valley region.

Does anyone here know anything more?

Ontario Puma Foundation - http://www.ontariopuma.ca/

There's also a Cougar warning for  Gatineau Park as well

[frozenice7885]

good im glad im not the only one thats heard of it yes i do believe that there is one in there

[Iain]

Here's a fairly recent article:  http://lfpress.ca/perl-bin/publish.cgi? ... ets_nature

Iain

[Anonymous]

I've spent many a day in the Rouge valley, both fishing and birding.  It's nice to have such a place nearby to enjoy.

The one time that I, along with about 6 other fishermen, can confirm that we saw a cougar in the Rouge Valley was 2 days after one had escaped from the Toronto Zoo.  We were fishing a large pool on the West Rouge at Twyn Rivers Rd at the base of a large landslide and saw the cat walking along the upper ridge heading north.  

Apart from that, I have never seen any trace of cougars in the Rouge Valley.  That being said, I don't think it's impossible to have one that would enter the area, given the way that the city and pathways are expanding and the water avenue's and their surrounding watersheds are responsible for deer now entering the city with greater frequency.

Personally, I think it would be neat to see one and be able to get a picture of it.  From a safe distance of course.

Attila

[David Shilman]

I would find any local sighting of a wild cougar VERY hard to believe.  I'm sure that the vast majority of Ontario sightings are not accurate.  I'm sure in most cases the people believe what they are reporting, but have misidentified their subject.

...can confirm that we saw a cougar in the Rouge Valley was 2 days after one had escaped from the Toronto Zoo....

This is a much more likely scenario.

It would be interesting to have a pool.  Which would come first...photographic or hair evidence of a cougar in the GTA, or similar proof of an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in the U.S. south.

David

[cloaca]

Based on the most current scientific research the Ontario Puma Foundation's status of the North American Puma in Ontario is endangered.

Does anyone else find this line hilarious?

[cloaca]

...also, that's an awful lot of reported sightings in the GTA given the lack of evidence.  What are this self-appointed foundation's criteria for accepting reports?  They don't seem to mention that beneath their map, rendering it worthless.  

One MNR scientist's explanation for not being able to confirm sightings:  "While his attempts (to confirm cougar sightings) have proved fruitless, Rosatte said he isn't surprised given an adult male cougar will travel in an area of as much as 1,000 square kilometres."

This is a nice and tidy excuse, except the Rouge isn't really all that big or remote.  Why hasn't anyone been able to confirm these sightings here, given the VERY high visitor traffic, thorough breeding and winter bird surveys, deer censuses, TRCA employees, yada yada yada.  

Why no hard evidence?  No scat?  No tracks?   Just anecdotes from fishermen following zoo escapes.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I find it hilarious, but there is a reasonable explanation for the Cougar being considered endangered, at least here in Ontario.

In 1978, the eastern subspecies was declared

[cloaca]

The funny part of the line was the fact that it states that the Ontario Puma Federation's status for the cat is endangered.  As you probably know, being a wildlife studies student, the Ontario Puma Federation's declaration of the at-risk status of the eastern cougar is worth about as much as my own.  That is, nothing.  

And I'm not questioning that you and your mates saw a cougar in the Rouge.  You also noted that it was immediately after a zoo escape.  So, your sighting is about as useful as me using the sighting of an escaped chimpanzee in my backyard as evidence for their occurence in the Greater Toronto Area.  That's all.  

The fact is, there is no hard evidence regarding cougars in the Greater Toronto Area.  That's all.

[GStuart]

A few years ago I saw a budgerigar in my backyard for several weeks.  And then it disappeared.  I wonder if a cougar ate it...     :wink:  :roll:

[Ron Luft]

Perhaps if someone is strongly opinionated or confrontational they could try a little diplomacy and keep their diatribes to themselves. The spirit of this board and others like it is friendly and a sharing of information. When a general discussion is ongoing don't make it personal. I for one tend to disregard posting by people that get personal and have to right. My 2 cents worth.

[David Shilman]

...And I'm not questioning that you and your mates saw a cougar in the Rouge.  You also noted that it was immediately after a zoo escape.  So, your sighting is about as useful as me using the sighting of an escaped chimpanzee in my backyard as evidence for their occurence in the Greater Toronto Area.  That's all.  

The fact is, there is no hard evidence regarding cougars in the Greater Toronto Area.  That's all.

I think you missed his point.  I believe he was making it clear that legitimate* sightings of cougars are very likely escapees, rather than wild animals.  He wasn't using his sighting as evidence for their occurrence in the GTA.

Why are you being confrontational?

David

*By legitimate, I mean accurate identification regardless of origin (wild or escape), rather than a misidentification.

[Faunistic]

One of the communication pitfalls associated with forum chatting is that any given discussion is bereft body language, facial expression, tone, inflection, etc. Perhaps this is causing folks to misinterpret?

Or perhaps because it is this person's "modus operandi"?

 :wink:

[cloaca]

When a general discussion is ongoing don't make it personal.

Who made it personal?  You'll note that I didn't question his sighting.  I'm sure him and his pals did see a cougar in the Rouge.  Maybe the above poster is right, and the nature of text communication makes misinterpretation easy.  But if you re-read the thread, you'll see that I didn't make any personal comments at all.  I merely mentioned that our only "evidence" for cougars in the rouge is anecdotal.  The poster, for some reason, took this as personal.

You guys need to relax!

[Faunistic]

Group Hug time!