Cougars Confirmed in Manitoba - Province du Manitoba

Cougars Confirmed in Manitoba

by Bill Watkins, Zoologist, Biodiversity Conservation Section
Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection Branch, Manitoba Conservation

A discussion of cougar sightings Is this cougar habitat?
in Manitoba is guaranteed to arouse
passions. Many people who have cougars and a 31-year hiatus in the Riding Mountains, the highest and
seen a cougar report their sighting reporting of any dead specimens most visually apparent relief in the
hesitantly, expecting ridicule, while significantly cooled interest in the province. Two broad river valleys
others continue to insist they have species, although sightings continued separate the three main upland areas
seen a cougar long after a period of to be documented by biologists and and contain the regionʼs best agricul-
time when objective evidence would Natural Resource Officers. Then in tural lands. The uplands exhibit the
indicate otherwise. It is beyond doubt rapid succession at the end of 2004, undulating relief typical of topogra-
that cougars have been seen in Mani- two dead cougars were reported to the phy formed by glacial till and melt
toba. Many credible sightings are department. water. Water is ponded in many small
reported every year, and the occa- depressions and lakes as a result of
sional hair sample or track confirms The first was a female, shot by a poorly developed drainage, although
the presence of this elusive predator. landowner on the southern boundary numerous small streams flow radially
There are those who believe that of Duck Mountain Provincial Forest from the uplands through incised
these sightings are either of escaped Reserve on November 1. The second, valleys. Typically, these river chan-
captive animals or of dispersing a male, was taken accidentally by a nels are deeply cut with terraces,
males from other jurisdictions that are licensed trapper south of Riding flood plains, and poorly drained
“just passing through.” Conversely, Mountain National Park on Decem- deltas. Uplands, lowlands and river
there are those who are critical of ber 30, a distance of just over 60 valleys combine to provide suitable
government biologists for not admit- miles from where the first cougar was habitat for a mixture of plant commu-
ting that the province has a breeding killed. Both locations are situated nities, characteristic of boreal forest,
population and managing them within Manitobaʼs Western Upland
accordingly. It has long been an Natural Region. (Continued on Page 7)
axiom of science that “extraordinary
claims demand extraordinary The region is dominated by the
proofs.” From 1973 until 2004, not a Porcupine Hills and the Duck, and
single dead cougar had been reported
or turned over to Manitoba Conserva-
tion. In the absence of evidence,
perhaps the biologists can be forgiven
if they err on the side of caution in
assessing the status of so rare an
animal.

The shooting of a cougar at
Stead, 35 miles northeast of Winni-
peg in 1973, and a detailed assess-
ment of 281 documented sightings
from 1879 to 1975 first established
the species as resident in the
province (Nero and Wrigley 1977).
Subsequent department field surveys
that failed to find evidence of resident

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Cougars Confirmed in Manitoba

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aspen parkland, and prairie. Most are the regionʼs largest mammals. male weighed in at a little over 115
importantly, the region contains Duck Predators include wolves, foxes, pounds, the female at 91 pounds. The
Mountain Provincial Park and Riding lynx, wolverines, and now maybe stomachs were essentially empty
Mountain National Park, which cougars. except for some conifer needles, a
collectively provide almost 1,700 few strands of grass, and small quan-
square miles of essentially undevel- In late January 2005, a team of tities of their own hair. The female
oped habitat. Additional area is government, university, and museum provided one clue regarding diet.
provided by the Duck Mountain biologists and a provincial veterinar- Old porcupine quills completely
Forest Reserve, in which logging is ian performed a necropsy on the two embedded under the skin were found
the primary activity but human devel- cougar specimens. Both were in
opment is minimal. Elk, moose, black excellent condition with more than (Concluded on Page 8)
bear, white-tailed deer, and mule deer adequate stores of subcutaneous and
abdominal fat for midwinter. The

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Cougars Confirmed in Manitoba

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on one front paw and one hind foot, heterogeneity of markers say between North Americaʼs cougar
her throat, the back of her head, and anything about the degree of inbreed- populations (Anderson et. al. 2004;
on her shoulders. Both cats were ing (which may be evident if a small Culver et. al. 2000), the origin of
found to carry tapeworm and round- local population exists with minimal Manitobaʼs cougars may remain as
worm species typical of wild cougars immigration from other popula- elusive as the big cats themselves.
in North America. tions)? Photo Credit

Life as a predator of large herbi- Following a flurry of reports by Southern Boundary of Duck
vores can be difficult at times, and the press, Manitoba Conservation Mountain Provincial Park – Cara Gill
scarring was evident on internal received numerous letters, e-mails, Literature Cited
organs of both cougars, reflecting and phone calls. Without exception,
past blunt trauma – perhaps caused by rural, or urban, correspondents urged Anderson Jr., C. R., et al. 2004.
a good kick from a desperate elk or that greater protection be provided for Genetic structure of cougar popula-
deer. The male exhibited scar tissue cougars within the province. There is tions across the Wyoming Basin:
on the right lung, the pancreas, and absolutely no evidence of the “cougar metapopulations or megapopulation.
along the duodenum. The femaleʼs panic” that has occurred in other J. Mammal 85(6):1207-1214.
injury was more severe. Scar tissue jurisdictions following the sighting or
was evident on her spleen, and her killing of a cougar in areas where Culver, M., et al. 2000.
diaphragm – although healed – had they have been absent for a long time. Genomic ancestry of the American
been perforated. Breathing must have puma (Puma concolor). J. Heredity
been compromised for some time These two incidents at the end 91(3):186- 197.
following the injury, making hunting of 2004 generated a great deal of
difficult. The porcupine quills take on interest in cougars by the public. The Nero, R. W., and R. E. Wrigley.
new meaning in this light. press coverage to date has stressed 1977. Status and habits of the cougar
the fact that cougars are a protected in Manitoba. Canadian Field-
The most disappointing result of species in Manitoba and that it is Naturalist 91(1):28-40.
the necropsy was the observation that illegal to deliberately kill them.
the female had never bred. Since Manitoba Conservation has agreed to Bill Watkins, Zoologist
females tend to disperse relatively provide the hides from these cougars Biodiversity Conservation Section
short distances from where they are for mounting and display to a local Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection
born, it is reasonable to speculate that museum and the Riding Mountain Branch
the Duck Mountain female is National Park Visitor Centre, with the Manitoba Conservation
evidence of a breeding population in condition that each display have a Box 24, 200 Saulteaux Crescent
Manitoba or along the border in the strong conservation message. Winnipeg, MB R3J 3W3
adjacent province of Saskatchewan. Skeletal remains will become part of telephone: 204-945-8481
Evidence of breeding by the female the permanent collection at the fax: 204-945-3077
would have added weight to the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. e-mail: [email protected]
argument. Tissue samples have been
sent for DNA analysis, and additional Unfortunately, we may never
questions may be answered with the know the original source of
results of these tests. Were the two Manitobaʼs cougars. In the absence of
cats related? Are there any South a North American-wide cougar DNA
American markers indicating a database with which to compare
captive origin? Does the degree of samples and recent work demonstrat-
ing a low degree of genetic variability

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