Environmental Issues in Northern Ontario
Ghost Cat: On the trail of the elusive
eastern cougar
- submitted by Debbie Sauve
Mysterious and secretive – the eastern cougar has woven its way in
and out of northern Ontario’s myths and legends since the turn of the
century.
“The last proven cougar in this province was shot in 1884,” Chuck Miller
of Killarney Provincial Park said. “There have been reported sightings
since then, like one here in Killarney this winter, but there has been
no confirmation of their presence.”
The enigmatic animal was spotted between Killarney Provincial Park and
Highway 69 in early March. During the investigation, Miller, along with
Park and MNR officials, was unable verify the sighting due to the
vagueness of the reported area.
According to Chair and Professor of the Biology Department at Laurentian
University Dr. Frank Mallory, this scenario has been the case for over
60 other cougar sightings in the Sudbury area over the last five years.
Mallory keeps track of cougar reports in the Sudbury region.
Historically, the eastern cougar inhabited the Eastern Deciduous Forest
Biome, which is southern Ontario; however, they extended this habitat
northward due to logging and disturbance. According to Mallory, this
same disturbance drove them out of the north.
“I think that we will see the return of the eastern cougar as habitat
disturbance lessons and large park systems are created,” Mallory said.
“Today, the eastern cougar can be found thriving in Florida, where they
are radio-collared and well-researched and I believe that these cats
will eventually come back as wildlife habitats are preserved and
restored.”
Mallory continued, however, that for now, DNA evidence is the only way
that you can be sure what you have.
“I think that many sightings are quite legitimate, but you can never be
sure if people really saw a cougar without DNA evidence,” Mallory said.
“So until then, they will remain the subject of northern myth and
legend.”
This story was originally published
in Seasons magazine (www.ontarionature.org)
