A cougar walked through the middle of Banff in the early hours of Tuesday (Jan. 9), prompting Parks Canada officials to warn people to be on alert and make sure there are no wildlife attractants in town. RCMP reported the cougar sighting about 3 a.m.
A cougar walked through the middle of Banff in the early hours of Tuesday (Jan. 9), prompting Parks Canada officials to warn people to be on alert and make sure there are no wildlife attractants in town.
RCMP reported the cougar sighting about 3 a.m. to Parks Canada, which quickly sent out wildlife staff to track the animal.
"They were cruising, stopped to talk to someone who had seen it, and then the other RCMP officer saw the cougar trotting between cars," said Bill Hunt, resource conservation officer.
"We were able to pick up tracks. It had wondered through four of five blocks in town and was near the IG. That was the furthest extent into town and most was on the periphery."
Wildlife staff tracked the cougar, losing tracks at times, but were able to determine it quickly moved back into the wildlife corridor north of Banff.
Parks continues to monitor the area.
"We don't like to see wildlife in town, and certainly not predators. Staff are out monitoring to make sure this isn't repetitive in this particular animal," said Hunt.
"It's definitely a reminder for everyone again to be WildSmart at all times, keep their heads up and stay alert, especially after dark."
Hunt said backtracking work by staff shows the cougar doesn't appear to have encountered any unnatural food attractants, such as garage, recycling, pets or pet food.
"The really good news is - whether the cougar followed in a deer or was disoriented -it didn't bump into attractants," he said.
"Hats off to Banff residents that the town was a nice, clean, safe environment and the cougar was able to move through without getting any rewards."
The Town of Banff is surrounded by steep and rocky terrain, leaving only narrow strips of habitat that act as corridors for wildlife to travel and move through the Bow Valley.
Cougars use wildlife corridors around Banff all year round, but it's not known why the animal came into town.
"It's maybe a young animal that hasn't quite figured out how to get around the landscape," said Hunt.
Backtracking shows this cougar came from the wildlife corridor near the Fenlands, then crossed the train tracks into town before heading back to the railway line and continuing east.
"It popped into one more green patch west of Whiskey Creek neighbourhood," said Hunt.
"We lost it near Whiskey Creek near the Y in the railway."
Staff were able to pick up a set of cougar tracks the following day and, though it might be the same cougar, Parks can't say for sure.
The cougar was heading west through the Whiskey Creek area, using the wildlife corridor between the industrial compound and TransCanada Trail.
"We were happy to see that," said Hunt. "They lost that track at Compound Road, heading westward."
In addition, another set of cougar tracks that were likely made at least two or three days earlier than the Jan. 9 cougar sighting were found on Tunnel Mountain Road east of the campground.
The animal had come through the campground, down off the benchlands, across Banff Avenue and through the Indian Grounds before heading into the woods between Compound Road and the Husky Oil site at the north end of Banff Avenue.
"The cougar got dead-ended between the compound and railway and the town and headed back toward the area around Compound Road," said Hunt.
Previous research has shown cougars travel in the Fenlands and west of the industrial compound, the entire Cascade corridor and on Tunnel Mountain.
"They don't travel as much on the south side of town as they do on the north side, but they still do," said Hunt.
Parks Canada reminds residents and visits to keep pets on leash at all times, carry and know how to use bear spray and immediately report all carnivore sightings - and any elk sightings in town boundaries - to Banff dispatch at 403-762-1470.
