CLICK ON THIS LINK TO WATCH TWO CONSECUTIVE VIDEOS OF WHAT MOST LIKELY IS A PUMA IN NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA(recorded the week of Feb 18, 2019)
Could they be cougars(In Nova Scotia, Canada)? Experts say it's likely
by:
'There is enough information on that video to make me feel
that cougar was the logical conclusion,' said wildlife
biologist Bob Bancroff. Nova Scotians have been hearing
about cougar sightings for years.Wildlife officials have
concluded many of those reports were actually bobcats,
house cats or fakes, but now there's solid evidence the
large cats may actually be in the province.
The last confirmed sightings of Eastern cougars are
believed to be in Maine in 1938 and in New Brunswick in
1932. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now says cougars
in eastern parts of Canada and the U.S. have been extinct
for 70 years. (Craig Pamplin)
that cougar was the logical conclusion,' said wildlife
biologist Bob Bancroff. Nova Scotians have been hearing
about cougar sightings for years.Wildlife officials have
concluded many of those reports were actually bobcats,
house cats or fakes, but now there's solid evidence the
large cats may actually be in the province.
The last confirmed sightings of Eastern cougars are
believed to be in Maine in 1938 and in New Brunswick in
1932. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now says cougars
in eastern parts of Canada and the U.S. have been extinct
for 70 years. (Craig Pamplin)
Last week, Lindsay Trask uploaded a video on YouTube
showing three cats walking down a hill behind her Digby
Neck home that has convinced two experts that cougars
may be present in Nova Scotia.
"There is enough information on that video to make me
feel that cougar was the logical conclusion," said wildlife
biologist Bob Bancroft. Curator of zoology at the Nova
Scotia Museum, Andrew Hebda, agrees. "Long tail,
so not bobcat, not lynx," he said.
feel that cougar was the logical conclusion," said wildlife
biologist Bob Bancroft. Curator of zoology at the Nova
Scotia Museum, Andrew Hebda, agrees. "Long tail,
so not bobcat, not lynx," he said.
In addition, Hebda told NEWS 95.7's The Rick Howe
Show, footprint photos submitted by Trask rule out the
possibility they were house cats. "The pad ... with
domestic cats they have three smooth, rounded
lobes to them. This one has two rounded lobes on
the side and the top is flattened out," he explained.
"That's classic cougar."
Digby Neck, site of what appears on video to be
three Pumas
However, in order for provincial wildlife experts to officially
recognize the cougar's existence in Nova Scotia, DNA
evidence would be needed. "When they groom they take
in a quite a bit of hair, so based on a scat analysis you
could do a DNA [test] and determine what you've got,"
Hebda said.
Show, footprint photos submitted by Trask rule out the
possibility they were house cats. "The pad ... with
domestic cats they have three smooth, rounded
lobes to them. This one has two rounded lobes on
the side and the top is flattened out," he explained.
"That's classic cougar."
Digby Neck, site of what appears on video to be
three Pumas
However, in order for provincial wildlife experts to officially
recognize the cougar's existence in Nova Scotia, DNA
evidence would be needed. "When they groom they take
in a quite a bit of hair, so based on a scat analysis you
could do a DNA [test] and determine what you've got,"
Hebda said.
Bancroft said cougars are generally solitary animals.
As the video shows three travelling together, he believes
it's a mother with two juveniles.
As the video shows three travelling together, he believes
it's a mother with two juveniles.
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Cougar riddle in Nova Scotia
may soon be answered
The question of whether there are cougars in Nova
Scotia may have an answer this month.
last seen in 1938.
According to Parks Canada, hair collected from
scratch posts designed to lure the elusive creatures
and collect their hair has yielded one positive
result for cougar DNA and another unconfirmed
result.
result for cougar DNA and another unconfirmed
result.
Chris McCarthy, resource conservation manager
at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic
Site, said Parks Canada has hired another
independent lab to analyze the sample from
Keji to determine if indeed there are cougars
in the province.
at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic
Site, said Parks Canada has hired another
independent lab to analyze the sample from
Keji to determine if indeed there are cougars
in the province.
"We've got conflicting results. It's really important
— Parks Canada has to base everything in sound
scientific method and we have to ensure accurate
results. In this case, we have two results and
they're conflicting," McCarthy told CBC's Maritime
Noon.
— Parks Canada has to base everything in sound
scientific method and we have to ensure accurate
results. In this case, we have two results and
they're conflicting," McCarthy told CBC's Maritime
Noon.
"We have to ensure that we know for sure before
we can announce anything. At this point, we have
nothing conclusive."
we can announce anything. At this point, we have
nothing conclusive."
'We need to be certain'
McCarthy said it's possible that if the test comes
back positive for cougar hair, the animal could
have been an escaped pet.
back positive for cougar hair, the animal could
have been an escaped pet.
The animal would likely not be an elusive
Eastern cougar, whose existence is
controversial for a number of reasons.
Eastern cougar, whose existence is
controversial for a number of reasons.
For one, biologists cannot seem to agree
whether the animal was its own distinct
subspecies or whether all North American
cougars are part of the same subspecies.
whether the animal was its own distinct
subspecies or whether all North American
cougars are part of the same subspecies.
Also, the last confirmed sightings of cougars
in this area are believed to be in Maine in
1938 and in New Brunswick in 1932.
in this area are believed to be in Maine in
1938 and in New Brunswick in 1932.
Biologists say numerous reported sightings
in recent years are compelling and have
helped sustain belief of the animal's
existence here, but they have yet to find
any scientific proof of the large cats.
in recent years are compelling and have
helped sustain belief of the animal's
existence here, but they have yet to find
any scientific proof of the large cats.
"People can make mistakes. There's
degrees of certainty out there and we
need to be certain beyond all reasonable
doubt," said McCarthy.
degrees of certainty out there and we
need to be certain beyond all reasonable
doubt," said McCarthy.
The so-called Eastern cougar was
designated as endangered in 1973,
only to be redesignated "data deficient"
in 1998 due to an absence of scientific
proof. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service proposed removing the Eastern
cougar from the endangered species list,
declaring that the cougars have likely
been extinct for at least 70 years.
designated as endangered in 1973,
only to be redesignated "data deficient"
in 1998 due to an absence of scientific
proof. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service proposed removing the Eastern
cougar from the endangered species list,
declaring that the cougars have likely
been extinct for at least 70 years.
'Anything is possible'
So what is the likelihood there is a wild,
breeding population of cougars in Nova Scotia?
breeding population of cougars in Nova Scotia?
"My guess is — and I'm not an expert on
cougars — my guess is it's unlikely," said McCarthy.
cougars — my guess is it's unlikely," said McCarthy.
"To me, there would be a lot more evidence."
Evidence such as more conclusive DNA
proof, cougar tracks and eyewitness photos.
Evidence such as more conclusive DNA
proof, cougar tracks and eyewitness photos.
However, McCarthy is not ruling out the
possibility that cougars exist in the province.
"Anything is possible."
possibility that cougars exist in the province.
"Anything is possible."
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