Fatal Cougar Attack In Banff & WHY?

Have many of you have heard of the recent problems that we are

experiencing here in Banff National Park regarding Cougar attacks? On

January 2nd three seperate attacks ocurred on people and domestic

animals in and close to Banff townsite. Tragically one of

incidents turned out fatal to Frances Frost(30)who was stalked and

killed whilst cross country skiing by a large male Cougar on a popular

trail close to town.

 

Personally, i'm inclined to believe that these bizarre incidents are

caused by development and lack of habitat, although i'm sure that it's

much more complicated than that.

But how many of us have been given "Hot Tips" on unusual wildlife

happenings and tried to photographicaly monopolise on it? I have, many

times. But now i am more than hesitant, especially now that the number

of Cougar related incidents are steadily on the rise and are happening

close and into populated areas.

 

How is this knowledge going to effect the way all of us go out and

take pictures of Deer and Elk, how do we identify the problem and how

do we fix it?

 

 

David Crossley/Crossley Photography...www.crossleyphotography.com

 

P.S. there is a link to more details about the recent Alberta Cougar

attacks on my homepage for those who are interested.

"Personally, i'm inclined to believe that these bizarre incidents are caused by development and lack of habitat,although i'm sure that it's much more complicated than that."

 

It is more complicated than that. However, you've hit upon probably the most important aspect. While it is possible that this is just an unlikely chance (to have this many attacks in such a short period of time) the more likley answer is that more and more people are encroaching upon previously unvisited habitat. More people out there means more chances for encounters.

Just as freezing is a risk of going out in the cold, getting attacked by an animal is a risk of going out in their habitat. It will make a lot better obituary than having been killed by a drunk driver.

 

Playing in the outdoors is not without risk and occasionally someone gets attacked, wounded and/or killed. It happens. Whether it is a spider, rabbit, moose or mountain lion, if you play in their territory you are at risk. As for the 'why'? It really doesn't matter.

 

Photograph car racing and you are at risk. Crossing the street you are at risk. Same with cross country skiing, mountain climbing or walking through the woods. Nothing is perfectly safe, nor should it be. While this persons relatives will mourn, the natural world moves on. This is a reminder that we don't control everything, no matter what we may think and for me that is a positive thing.

 

The downside is that a bunch of idoits will now want to hunt down the cougar and kill it.

I completey agree with the viewpoint of Dan Smith (even if he doesn't need corroboration). I believe that humanity constantly attempting to press on nature, and modify its content, causes a lot of these events. I totally commiserate with the relatives of the woman lost, and with those injured, but nature is not anthropocentric, as much as humans might will it. The answer is not to eliminate the animals, but rather the encroachment.

Well put, Dan.

Oh the cougar was killed...same day, by the Park Wardens. Another was deported a couple of days later....just in case?

Dan hit right on spot. But let me tell you a real story. In southern India, I have some researcher friends, who, typically walk into the forests, which are wild with elephants, tigers, panthers some bears many boars. Of these, the elephants are the most dangerous followed by boars. In general 2 researchers walk with 3 trackers ( native experts ). Tourists are not allowed to walk. So this friend of mine, who has many wild experiences including an attack by an elephant saved in the last moment, was doing his routine, was walking along a hill and could see a herd of deer grazing way down. He stopped letting everyone go ahead to answer a nature's call ( tree the Man's best friend). His friends who went down had a better view of deers and something alarmed this herd and they started running. Our man saw them running but suddenly they went out of his view while his friends noticed that they are heading towards him. Like Jurassic park, all of a sudden our man is in the middle of a stream of deers running by. He, being well camouflaged himself, held to a tree (his best friend by now). A big adult male deer could easily knock him down and the rest can trample him to death. Lucky for him, other than few close and rough brushes from the deer, he lived to tell the story. Personally, I have been chased twice by elephants on foot and once got surrounded by wild boars, half climbed the tree. Its just that we should remind ourselves that we are a part of Nature and not the other way round. We tresspass, we are responsible for our own lives. Respect and fear is a great combination in the field. Thats how we fix it ... - raj

The disturbing aspect here is that it seems to have been a predatory attack. The cougar actually stalking the victim as prey. Most animal attacks in North America (Bear, Bison, Elk, Moose, Snakes, Spider, Rabbits etc.) are defensive attacks. When animals start to look at me as a food source rather than a threat, I get worried...

"The disturbing aspect here is that it seems to have been a predatory attack."

 

As can be the case when predators are habituated to humans and their natural food sources begin to dwindle.

It was definitely a predatory attack, the cougar was killed as it was defending "it's meal". Lack of "natural food sources" isn't a problem, the village is full of elk. Cougars had killed one recently in a resident's yard! A local wolf pack also has enjoyed this bounty, and have been competing with the cougars whose population has increased recently; and moved closer to the food sources.

I have spent 13 years in the Great Land, called Alaska. I have enjoyed every bit of it and I am missing all the adventures I had.

I came close to grizzlies and brown bears often. I was at arms length with brown bears, not because my choice but by suprise. I have performed land surveys in remote places and I was fortunate not to be mauled by these creatures. Some of my co-workers wasn't so lucky.

Now where I live we have also many cougars and attacks are comon.

Cougars have a small heart and can not run long distance. They must kill from trees by jumping on the victim from behind. Go for the neck. Male cougars kill the off springs just like bears, they want to mate with the female and the cubs are in the way. Female cougars therefore will elude the males and take their cubs into populated areas for safety where they face other problems from us, humans.

So, if you in a wooded area always scan ahead and look out for danger from above. Those large limbs in the pine forest are a favorite places for these creatures to hang out. Keep in mind that in most cases we are the tresspasser and unfortunate accidents will happen.

As disturbing as it may seem to some of you, and with the

assurance that I will get flamed let me tell you how I avoid wildlife

attacks. First, I take no food with me while shooting, I travel with a

partner who acts as a spotter and general companion. He also

carries a .308 rifle. While I have qualms about killing the animals

I love to photograph I would not hesitate. Fortunately I have never

been in a position to do so.

I grew up in the interior of BC in various places but now work in Vancouver. A number of us at work were talking about this event one day. A few interesting observations came up:

 

"People are surprised to find they are made of meat - the same as elk and rabbits"

 

"An elk is probably an harder to handle target than a person on a pair of skis"

 

"Y'know, canadian wolves and cougars are different than the ones they have working in Hollywood for Disney"

 

Hmmm...

 

Cheers,

I tend to agree that habitat encroachment is one of the biggest factors in the animal attack scenarios described. And, as another post has said, most animal attacks are defensive. But some, albeit few in number and frequency, are truly predatory.

 

The truth is folks, without our guns and other defensive technologies we are not, (biologically speaking), at the top of the food chain. As most prey goes, humans represent a large catch. Couple this with the fact we ourselves are predatory. There are few other mammals that operate this way, bears as an example. Therefore, we are not an easy mark for any other predator. But in the end, all predators are opportunists. Human sized prey , while representing a potentially huge energy cost for the animal, could keep that critter and his or her family fed for a while.

 

We also tend to take these attacks personally, as if cougars or bears harbor a malicious ill will towards the humans they attack as prey. I truly sympathize with the families for their losses. The animal was only doing what it's programmed and designed to do - hunt. Until we can convey to cougars and grizzlies the idea that the consumption of humans is unacceptable and that we will use our defensive technologies to stop them, the risk of attack will always be there in bear or cat country. Both cats and bears stalk. It comes with the beautiful places they call home.

 

As much as I like to photograph predatory animals, (except humans!) the prospect of becoming a meal is of course, not an appealing one. Personally, I do see it as a more "honorable" way to die as opposed to blowing my arteries or liver to bits through bad health habits, or to die at the hands of a drunken fool on the highway. If it did happen to me (thankfully it never has) I would do all I could in that instance to secure myself to the very topmost link of the food chain.

 

This is a difficult and challenging problem to handle. The pressures on the wilderness increase tremendously with each passing year. More humans pouring into previously little used wilderness areas will create problems. For example, it would be quite unlikely to be stalked and attacked by a predatory black bear in the lower forty-eight. However, I have read of predatory black bear attacks in pockets of isolated wilderness in eastern Canada. Apparently, there are gaps of human contact with the bears for several generations of cubs. Thus, the bears aren't taught to avoid humans; they aren't taught that humans are just as likely to kill and eat you, the bear, as you, the bear, are likely to kill and eat the human, so it is generally better to avoid humans all the way around.

 

I am curious if this could be a factor in the cougar attacks. Since cougars rule over such a broad homerange I suppose it could be a possibility, although I think it is a slim one. In the end, I am opposed to killing an animal for being what it is. There are so many other options and I don't think that the cougar involved was operating out of vengance or saw itself as a "problem." A bull elk in rut could just as easily kill a human in a defensive attack. Would the bull then be killed, or relocated?

 

I'm sorry for the long post. This is an oddly sensitive subject for me.

 

Bill

A web search revealed some interesting facts. With regard to the most recent attack the reason was cited as: "elk, the main prey of wolves and cougars, have moved closer to Banff, and the cougars have followed. This is resulting in normally wary cougars abandoning their natural fear of people, going further into the townsite to get at their food source, which is elk".

 

Of the U.S. cougar attacks in the last twenty years ten have been fatal. A huge increase over the last several decades. In the last ten years there has been an increase in non-fatal attacks. Reasons listed included increasing cougar populations due to more hunting restrictions (populations have doubled in California since 1972). In areas like B.C. where there is heavy hunting, an increase in attacks is reasoned to be increasing cougar and human populations. Others say the reason for these increases are unknown.

 

One article stresses that cougar atacks remain extremely rare, and implies that the danger of dying in a car accident on the way to the mountains is far greater. See this interesting article on relative outdoor hazzards: http://virtual-markets.net/vme/ARNHA/graph3.html Risk of cougar attack was very low relative to other hazzards.

 

Accounts of cougar attacks follows a specific pattern. Single hikers are at risk. Pets and children seem to attract cougars as more easy prey. Many of the attacks were on joggers, running children, mountain bikers, and other running-prey-like victims.

 

I would folks might check out this page of the GORP web site about handling a cougar encounter: http://www.gorp.com/gorp/publishers/falcon/mtn_lion.htm

I'm pretty much totally opposed to hunting and I hate to see any animal killed. However, in this case, where an animal obviously sees humans as an (easy) food source and has been suceeded in killing one, the only sensible thing to do is to either capture it or kill it or you're just asking for trouble. I wouldn't necessarily advocate the same proceedure for an Elk however, not until they start stalking and eating people!

 

I've been told that the best course of action in case of a cougar attack is to fight. Unlike Grizzlies, fighting will sometimes drive them away and you do have a chance of surviving. Cougars are fairly small as big cats go (but still pretty big and strong). Playing dead will surely get you killed and running away will encourage attack.

Item #8 from the GORP site above-

Be prepared to defend yourself and fight back, if attacked. Try to remain standing. Do not feign death. Pick up a branch or rock, pull out a knife, pepper spray, or other deterrent device. Remember, everything is a potential weapon, and individuals have fended off mountain lions with blows from rocks, tree limbs, and even cameras.

See http://www.fs.fed.us/htnf/cougar.htm which might give insight to a reason for this attack and also suggests defensive actions to take.

You know when I hear stories like this, it makes me very sad for the human and the animal involved.

And reminds me of this conversation that will take place in the not to distant future between a child and their parents or grandparents. It goes like this.

Grandpa what were wild animals like?

Well from the best I can tell, they walked on all 4 feet, and some of them were big and killed and eat people.

Why did they do that?

Well I'm not rightly sure why, but from what the old timers say, it was because people didn't understand them, destroyed their homes and feared them. And when people fear something, their reaction is to destroy it if they can, they hunted down all the animals and killed just about all of them.

Grandpa will a wild animal eat me?

I don't think you have to worry about that happening, not since they paved just about the whole planet and contaminated the oceans so bad with chemicals.

Grandpa if they killed off all the wild animals, I'll never be able to see any of them.

Well there are few places left called Zoo's where there is still a very few animals that are kept in cages, But I'm afraid by the time your growed up they too will be gone.

Boy Grandpa I sure wish I could have seen some of them wild animals.

Well come to think of it, maybe you can see some of them. I believe around here somewhere there is an old container that belonged to my Grandpa and it has some old faded pictures in it. Lets see if we can find it!.

.

I know a lot, if not everybody will say, this conversation will never happen. My question to them is, where was that concrete mixer or log truck or asphalt truck going that went pass your house today ?

.

As far as what happened to the young lady and the cougar it was tragic. But don't let this stop you from going out and seeing the beauty of nature and wild animals. Just be careful and respect them both, for the container Grandpa is looking for, may have longed to you.

.

P.S. As for not taking food along with you when your out there. I would rather share a peanut butter and jelly sandwich then be the main course.

In western North Carolina you are at risk in the autumn of being shot by dozing deer hunters or run off the road by bear hunters who are chasing their radio collared bear hounds along the back roads in pick-up trucks. (Wonder if a buddy with a .308 would help?) John.

<"Lack of natural food sources is'nt a problem, the village is full of elk">. I'm not sure of the exact numbers of Elk around Banff at their peak Clay (my guess @ 3-4 hundred), but that herd of Elk have had a fair chunk taken out of them. Last year 153 where relocated and another 50 are slated for removal in the next week or so.

 

Valerius Geist professor emeritus of the environmental faculty @ U of C, <"blamed the attack on the declining amount of wildlife in the Bow Valley Corridor, leading Cougars to venture into populated areas to hunt humans and their pets">

 

Compounding the problem further is the bottleneck geography of Banff townsite. The town (and dysfunctional fence that divides the Bow Valley in half) sprawls right through the middle of the Bow Valley wildlife corridor, forcing wildlife to either stay out or "take a walk down mainstreet". Till recently this has'nt been a problem for the local Elk herd. The Bow Valley Wolf pack would'nt come into town to hunt them, and "hazing" techniques have been rumored to have been employed in recent times to push Elk out beyond the periphery. Talk about pressure on the predator/prey balance!

 

Theres a really good report on the Canmore/Banff Cougar situation by Jo Duerbrouck and Dean Miller, authors of Cat Attacks : True Stories And Hard Lesssons From Cougar Country

@www.headwatersnews.org/cougarattack.html

 

Heres a qoute: <"the attack on Ms Frost was not abnormal. Cougar attacks are infrequent yes, but the Cougars that attack humans are almost always found to be normal animals exhibiting normal predator behaviour">.

 

David Crossley/Crossley Photography...www.crossleyphotography.com

One of the posters above mentioned an often repeated mis-information the "Cougar population in California has doubled since 1972". There has in fact been no such accurate count made of the number of Cougars in California by anyone. I believe this number was put forth by the Gun Lobby when they tried to get a proposition passed in California a few years back to allow trophy hunting of the animals (it failed). Due to the decreasing lack of large tracks of uninhabited nature areas, I seriously doubt the population is on the rise of any large preditor. We had a few sightings near my house here in the East Bay of San Francisco two summers ago, and it made me a little more cautious when I was out hiking. I was especially weary of running anytime near dusk in areas where they could be hiding. I still think there is much more of a chance of getting harmed by that dangerous two legged homo sapien animal than by the large cats.

I've personally had two close encounters with a Mountain Lion within the past 1.5 years in west Texas, one of which was exhibiting stalking behaviour(followed behind me on the trail within 100 feet over a 15 minute period). The encounters were during backpacking trips into very remote areas(60 miles from the nearest town). There is adequate habitat in the area and a large population of Mule Deer, but water sources are scarce. While I realize it is alarming when someone is fatally attacked by an animal, the reality is it is very rare. Many people take for granted when they are in wilderness areas there are inherent risks associated with it. You accept those risks when you enter and should always remain alert. If you have an encounter with a Mountain Lion, face the animal, shout at it, make eye contact, and remain aggressive until it retreats. If it attacks, fight back! The area where I've encountered the lion(s) has in recent years had an increased number of reported sightings and encounters and has even had to close one of the car accessible campgrounds. The animals are becoming accustomed to humans and no longer instinctually retreat as they have in the past.

 

Near my home in central Texas, I have done alot of trail running on a 17-mile loop trail around a municipal lake. I have seen mountain lion tracks within the past year and saw fresh tracks on the opposite side of the lake just this past weekend. Since I conduct these runs alone, I will terminate these runs in the area to avoid any type of predatory response. Could I continue these runs without incident? Probably, but common sense dictates I find another area for trail running.

 

One more tidbit. More people were probably killed in car accidents today in the U.S. than have been fatally attacked by Mountain Lions over the past 30 years! And of the Mountain Lion attacks, over half have occurred on Vancouver Island, B.C. Be Safe!

What a compelling thread! What thought provoking [from all viewpoints] posts. This is why I spend time here. I like fstops, resolution charts and debates over H&D contrast curves as much as the next guy, but THIS ...

Thanks Photo.net --- Thank you , Phil