I'm really scared

About a ten minute walk from my home, there has been sightings of a cougar, which is absolutely unheard of for decades. As you can see from the article, everyone in my neighborhood is on High alert.

www.nugget.ca...
What scares me, is that my children walk those very paths, as do I, through the school yards and through the nature trails, on a daily basis. It is our only way to get to work and run errands.
I fear for my children walking at night.
The biggest thing we had to fear previously was black bears. This is terrifying.
For those that think Cougars only live in the mountains...not so.
www.cbc.ca...

www.easterncougar.org...

Our city is absolutely reeling from first an Ecoli outbreak that has affected 200 people, and left the city in fear, and now we are afraid to leave our homes or send our kids to school.
I won't leave home till this Cat is found. Iam surrounded by bush area, that is full of tall grass, perfect for a cougar to hide.
I'm sure there are those of you that may live with a fear of various wild animals where you live, but this is new for us.
The sight of all those police with guns walking around is most unnerving as well. I'm so afraid of a kid walking through that bush unaware, and the cops shooting first and asking questions later.
Not to mention, this Friday is Halloween. So many out trick or treating, usually without their parents.
Like I said..I'm terrified.

Holy Cow AD!! I would be terrified as well . I have no experience with wild life other than the occasional possum /bunny/ squirrel in the yard. ( you had to worry about BEARS

!!!!!!!!)
I did find a site that listed how to " protect " yourself in the event you run into a cougar.

I hope some of them are helpful though not all are practical for you and your kids. ( i am sure it isnt possible for you all to always travel in groups )

from www.savethecougar.org...


The following suggestions are based on studies and analysis of attacks by eastern cougars, tigers and leopards:

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DO NOT HIKE ALONE: Go in groups, with adults supervising children.
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KEEP CHILDREN CLOSE TO YOU: Observations of captured wild eastern cougars reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children. Keep children within your sight at all times.
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DO NOT APPROACH A COUGAR : Most eastern cougars will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
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DO NOT RUN FROM A COUGAR : Running may stimulate a eastern cougar's instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so they don't panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the eastern cougar.
*

DO NOT CROUCH DOWN OR BEND OVER: In Nepal, a researcher studying tigers and leopards watched the big cats kill cattle and domestic water buffalo while ignoring humans standing nearby. He surmised that a human standing up is just not the right shape for a cat's prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. If you're in eastern cougar country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.
*

DO ALL YOU CAN TO APPEAR LARGER: Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the eastern cougar that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.
*

FIGHT BACK IF ATTACKED: A hiker in Southern California used a rock to fend off a cougar that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a eastern cougar usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.

WHAT IF YOU LIVE IN EASTERN COUGAR COUNTRY?

Now that people and eastern cougars occupy so much of the same geographical areas, encounters are expected to increase. If you live in eastern cougar habitat, here's what you can do to reduce your chances of encountering a eastern cougar near your home:

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DON'T FEED WILDLIFE: By feeding deer, raccoons or other wildlife in your yard, you will inadvertently attract eastern cougars, which prey upon them.
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"DEER-PROOF" YOUR LANDSCAPE:
Avoid using plants that deer prefer eat; if your landscaping attracts deer, eastern cougar may be close by.
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LANDSCAPE FOR SAFETY: Remove dense and/or low-lying vegetation that would provide good hiding places for eastern cougars, especially around children's play areas; make it difficult for eastern cougars to approach your yard unseen.
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INSTALL OUTDOOR LIGHTING: Keep the perimeter of your house well lit at night- especially along walkways - to keep cougars visible.
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KEEP PETS SECURE: Roaming pets are easy prey for hungry eastern cougars. Either bring pets inside or keep them in a kennel with a secure top. Don't feed pets outside; this can attract other eastern cougar prey.
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KEEP LIVESTOCK SECURE: Where practical, place livestock in enclosed sheds and barns at night, and be sure to secure all outbuildings.
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KEEP CHILDREN SAFE: Keep a close watch on children whenever they play outdoors. Make sure children are inside between dusk and dawn. Teach your children what to do if they encounter a eastern cougar.


Be safe and alert... I can totally understand your apprehension ( especially with everyone being out and about on Friday).

E Coli scares me too . Do they have any idea what caused the outbreak??



[edit on 10/28/08 by SugarJ]

Advice...Make sure anyone walking is in a group...preferably three or more and a flashlight for each (powerful beam) when it is dark.

Of course...not walking there for awhile could help...

My immediate impressions. I actually followed a mountain lion that passed my vehicle when I was camping last year...but I am terminally moronic...

That is terrible that you are scared... Me, I'd want to get a pic, from a long distance away of course. What a way to put a damper on Samhain. Mother nature is so unpredictable. I hope they don't kill it, or worse, it kills someone.

[edit on 10/29/2008 by eye open doors]

reply to post by SugarJ


Thanks for the info SugarJ.
I knew quite a bit of that list, as it's pretty much the same way to avoid a bear attack.
Like I said though, Iam totally surrounded by bush area, even if I go wait for the city bus at the end of my street instead of walking.
The deer population is large here, and I have seen them all summer, usually just a few steps from my front door.
Last week, there was just a young one, that was running around the front yards in the middle of the day. I thought it very odd, as it should still be with it's mother, and it looked very scared. I suppose there is a good chance the poor thing lost it's mother to the cougar.
There has also been an increase of missing pets in the area over the last three weeks, but of course, no one ever thought the cause could be a large cat.
The fact that the latest sighting was today, in daylight hours, says to me that this sucker is very bold. Usually they are elusive.
Of course I would prefer it to be captured and released somewhere else, but it's lurking around schools and playgrounds, and I'd rather see it shot than hurt a child.

Originally posted by MemoryShock
Advice...Make sure anyone walking is in a group...preferably three or more and a flashlight for each (powerful beam) when it is dark.

Of course...not walking there for awhile could help...

My immediate impressions. I actually followed a mountain lion that passed my vehicle when I was camping last year...but I am terminally moronic...

You followed it in your vehicle right? Not on foot????
Crazy man..just crazy...

reply to post by eye open doors

Before I moved here, I grew up in a small town.
Wildlife sightings were even more common, including a bull moose that ran behind our house. BIG SUCKER!



But I remember early one morning, my ex was getting ready to leave for work, and he asked me to help him carry his stuff out to our motorcycle, that was parked right outside the front door, under a large evergreen tree.
We no sooner opened the front door, than a large black bear came running at us.
I almost had to change my pants!
Turns out SHE had 2 cubs that were up the tree outside our door, and was being protective.
It took the cubs about 5 hours to come down, and when they all were running away, my ex, ran outside with a camera and got a few pics.
The funniest thing, was him calling in to work to explain that he couldn't make it in that day because we were being held hostage by a bear...
Needless to say..he got fired.

Hi AD, sorry, about how you feel.

You know, i was listening to a show on c2c a few days ago and they were talking about cougars and animals that havent been seen in awhile making a comeback. I wish i could remember who it was saying all this. Anyway, be careful, and make sure your kids are careful and they walk in groups.

Talk about a messed up world. :shk:

About Holloween, since we are all aware that life is different now, i would suggest leaving a bowl outside your front door with some goodies. I wouldnt answer my door anymore.

About the Ecoli, my goodness, i dont know what to say except (dont laugh) go to your pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to order you a block of camphor -little squares of camphor each child can have on their person to ward off desease.
That's my grandmothers remedy to every known illness and it works!!!!!

The rest , please be very careful. I hate living in fear.:shk:

reply to post by dgtempe


Hey DG..you are correct, many animals are moving into territory that haven't been in for decades. We keep forgetting that we intruded on their space first.

Halloween is scary for me because I have 4 little ones to take out. I wish I could just leave treats on my doorstep, but unfortunately, there are a few bad apples around here that would be greedy.
As for the Ecoli thing, it has been traced back to two restaurants each side by side, but those two restaurants are also directly beside the restaurant where two of my children are employed.I also worked there earlier this year, and would frequently stop next door at one of the two restaurants for a burger &fries before heading home.
It truly IS a mixed up world.
It's starting to snow outside and I feel the strong urge to just hibernate and hope for a better spring.

reply to post by AccessDenied


That's a great story.. too bad he got fired. Sometimes it happens that way. I view these types of things as an honor. Please do be careful...

Oh Access, please be careful. I know you will be, you're very intuitive and smart. The only thing we have to worry about here are the coyotes. It's wooded where we are and I never let my son play on the trails unless he is with other friends. I've not heard of anyone being attacked by one around here, but they like the deer. They've also been seen running in packs. Scary.

Just be safe.

Rush

Originally posted by hsur2112
Oh Access, please be careful. I know you will be, you're very intuitive and smart. The only thing we have to worry about here are the coyotes. It's wooded where we are and I never let my son play on the trails unless he is with other friends. I've not heard of anyone being attacked by one around here, but they like the deer. They've also been seen running in packs. Scary.

Just be safe.

Rush

I'm being as careful as I can hon. Problem is, when you need groceries..you have to go get them. I don't go out at night, only in the day, and have started carrying my pocket knife again. Scary to think of how close I'd need to get to do any damage, but it's better than nothing.
We don't have coyotes here, but there are wolves.
Scary place huh?
Gotta love Canada.
But if I ever hear of a polar bear roaming around, I"M OUTTA HERE!

Looks like Halloween will be canceled for my kids and those in my area.
Most of the parents have opted to keep their kids inside as a safety precaution and either give them the candy they bought for others, or just buy it.
This TOTALLY sucks.:shk:

I would say similar to DG, but one weird thing to add, I was standing outside on my porch night before last to smoke and i saw something catch my eye off in the distance, it began to make a weird almost snoring sound that alerted my senses.

As it began to move I could hear the leaves crunch under its feet and the snorting/snoring noise continued.

From the size of it I figured maybe it was one of the neighbors horses with an upper resperatory problem, it was that or a cougar... I dismissed it and went back in just alittle freaked.

Strange and all I can say is nature is as confused these days as the rest of us. You probably have very bad weather coming and it traveled down to find food for its young. Perhaps it will dissapear as suddenly as it appeared. In the meantime, keep close watch on your kids and pets. Carry a stick and dont be afraid, they sense that and think it is their fear not yours.

reply to post by AccessDenied


I so wish I was physically there for you right now. I seriously doubt I could take a cougar, but I COULD definately buy some time keeping that cougar busy if the doody hit the fan.

Cougars think they're so cool. Walkin' around, growlin', terrorizin' people and stuff. I hate cougars.

reply to post by lombozo


Me too honey. And unfortunately I have a new problem. The wind last night was so strong that it blew open my front door, which was already hanging by broken hinges. At least if I lock it , it stays shut. When it rains, it pours I swear.
I have to go out tomorrow, to run errands, and even though I'm taking the bus, it's the area in which the cat was seen. My son's will be with me, so I'm not going alone.
Besides, I get like a momma bear when one of my cubs is in danger.
Let that big old puddy tat try somethin' and I'll go all Tweety bird on his ass!
I hope...

My god..I just turned on the evening news and saw my housing complex and even my own front door on the news while they interviewed our housing manager about the Cougar.
This is so absolutely unreal.

reply to post by AccessDenied

My god..I just turned on the evening news and saw my housing complex and even my own front door on the news while they interviewed our housing manager about the Cougar. This is so absolutely unreal.

I will pray for you, I have children as well an I know your concern, stay inside as much as you can till this is resolved and don't go outside unless you have some type of protection....

reply to post by AccessDenied


Awww babes! I am was reading what you wrote and the other's and jesus did it scare me. I don't know stuff about keeping them big one's away... I know putting pepper/chilli around your house will keep cats from going near it..

Scary, I am just scared of people, let alone people and animals that are dangerous. I just looked up some facts about these cougars, they said if you are with younger children pick them up, and get sticks if they are around and make yourself look as big and mean as possible. Look them in the face and eyes, make them think you are the treat not the prey... Kinda scary shi....

Take care babes, I know you will but it has to be said. If you need anything just let me know. xxx

Thanks Rikk, and Oni.
I'm actually more scared of time passing and it not being found. It's the constant threat of knowing it's lurking out there that's terrifying.
What we need to do is organize a good group of local hunters to help track it down. If they can track a moose, I'm sure they can track a cougar.
A bunch of cops sitting around the streets just waiting for someone else to spot it, is not being very pro active and I'm sure they have better things to do.
I guess the truth is, we as a city, just really don't know how to handle this situation effectively. We can't keep inside forever, and I truly don't like the fear mongering going on.
I hate telling my kids they can't play outside when the playground is right across the street, and I hate telling them the holiday they've looked forward to for weeks is now canceled.
If I ever do come face to face with that cat, he's gonna get a sweet right hook for making my kids lives miserable.