Wildlife alert near school

Photo: Contributed

Parents in Rose Valley are concerned after a wildlife sighting near Mar Jok Elementary School this morning.

A Grade 6 student walking to school alone about 8:30 a.m. believes he saw a cougar digging through garbage in the Westlake area.

Conservation officer Jeff Hanratty attended the school after receiving a call from the principal. He says he spoke with the child, who described what could have been a cougar or a coyote.

“The animal was spotted digging in a trash can, which is not typical cougar behaviour and more likely that of a coyote," said Hanratty.

The student believes the animal was three to four feet long, had possible stripes and was displaying cat-like behaviour. Hanratty says the description appears to be that of a larger coyote or a smaller cougar.

“This animal also had a smaller animal with it, like a cub, which could be typical for either a coyote or a cougar.”

Coyotes pose a low risk to the public, but are a concern for smaller pets or unattended infants, said Hanratty.

Students at Mar Jok were notified of a wildlife sighting in the area and were told to stay on the upper field during recess.

“It is always possible a cougar will come into town, especially if there are deer around,” Hanratty said.

He canvassed the neighbourhood after speaking with the boy, and no other residents appeared to have seen the animal.

"The couple whose garbage was ripped into by the animal believes a bear did it last night, but the mother of the student believes it may have been a cougar this morning, although she says her son had really no idea what he saw," said Hanratty, adding there have been several calls to Conservation regarding bears in Rose Valley.

Hanratty believes the boy saw a coyote, not a cougar, as they are common in the area.

"We are dealing with coyote calls here in Rose Valley, in Shannon Lake, and have had two calls for coyotes at Hudson Road Elementary School."

Apparently, coyotes took a puppy from a home on Hudson, but dropped it after the dog's owner yelled at the animals. Another coyote reportedly tried to take a dog on a leash in the Shannon Lake area.

Conservation only attends calls for coyotes if the animals are displaying aggressive behaviour towards humans.

If you spotted wildlife in the Rose Valley area Monday morning, contact Castanet at [email protected]