Story on Cougars anyone?

[HEyHEY]

This was a fun one to do:


For a switch, it will be cougars in the Crowsnest Pass that are being stalked. A grad student from the University of Alberta is in the CNP conducting a study gathering eco-data to learn more about the travel habits of the solitary cat.
Cheryl Chetkiewicz will be adorning cougars with GPS collars. The collars will take a position every four hours by satellite. The information from the satellite can then be mapped on a computer to track the movements of the animal.
The main focus of the project is to assess the movements of the cats in relation to the highway and land use planning. Alberta is planning on twinning its highway system soon, and there are concerns an even wider highway would pose an issue for cats moving back and forth.
“We’ve found out so far most of the cats are crossing in the evening or early in the morning,” said Chetkiewicz. “But it’s hard to know what kind of cues they use to cross at those times and places.”
Chetkiewicz said the cats might be crossing during those times because traffic levels are low and lighting conditions make it harder for them to be seen.
Data collected over the last year indicates some cougars cross the highways while others do not. So far there is not enough data to explain why. Highway crossings can be just as dangerous to cougars as other animals. Crowsnest Pass RCMP reported, last year one cougar was killed as a result of being struck by a car. The cougar was not one of the collared animals involved in Chetkiewicz’s study.
Chetkiewicz said the solution to the problem is not simple. Even animal over and underpasses, such as in Banff and BC, aren’t a cure all.
“Some animals are wary of the structures, especially mothers,” she said.
Collaring the cougars is a job in itself, said Chetkiewicz. The services of local houndsmen and their dogs with experience in tracking cougars are employed. The houndsman are up early searching for fresh tracks. If they find them they contact Chetkiewicz and decide if the conditions are right for finding the cat. They also need to determine if the cat is the right size and weather or not it has kittens.
“The local hunters are vital,” said Chetkiewicz. “Without their knowledge and skills, we wouldn’t be able to find any cats.”
If Chetkiewicz decides it is a cougar she’d like to collar she, the houndsmen, and Fish and Wildlife Officers head out on the hunt. The hounds are familiarized with the cougar’s scent and set loose to chase the cat until it is treed.
Chetkiewicz said the chase could last hours and can take place over difficult terrain in addition it can be tiring.
“We’re scaling mountainsides and climbing rocks,” she said. “We start early, and can be running almost the entire day. There’ve been times when I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”
Eventually the hounds tree the animal and the group prepare to dart it with tranquilizers. On occasion the cougar will climb too high and the group will have to wait for it to leave the tree and climb a more suitable one.
“Sometimes it will sit there and look at us,” said Chetkiewicz. “Eventually it jumps down and heads to another tree. There, we decide if we can dart it.”
If the cat doesn’t climb too high, it can be darted in the tree. Usually after it’s been darted it will come down and attempt to run, and then the drugs take effect. If the cougar stays in the tree after being darted, once it is sedate, someone will climb the tree and tie a rope around its leg, then lower it to the ground.
The cat is then “hobbled” for safety. Because the tranquilizer causes the cat’s eyes to remain open, a lubricant is put in them to prevent damage by the sun. The head is then covered to reduced stress.
After the animal is secure, Chetkiewicz gives it a health examination, which includes the measuring of teeth, paws, and a blood test. If the cat is female, they check to see if it’s lactating. Once the examination is complete the animal is collared and left to recover. Chetkiewicz said tranquilization is the safest and most humane method for conducting research.
“The drugs we use are fairly safe for people and cats,” she said. “There is no other way to do this work safely.”
Between 2001 and 2002 five cougars were darted. In 2003 eight cougars were darted. Chetkiewicz said in 2004 she will be trying for five cougars.
One of the reasons cougars are particularly sensitive to highways is their relative tolerance of people. Unlike other animals, Cougars can stay in areas with human density.
Chetkiewicz said they are not extremely territorial either, many cougars can live in the same area, particularity if they are related to each other.
So far, it has been younger cougars crossing the highway, Chetkiewicz said the reason is younger cats are more likely to cross highways as they seek to establish a territory or, if they are males, search for females. The ranges of travel for cougars in the CNP are no different from that of other cougars that have been studied throughout Alberta.
The females can average up to 40 square kms of terrain while males can average up to 170 square kms. Males, which aren’t tied down to raising kittens, travel a further distance in search of prey and females.
“It’s all about food and sex if you’re a cat,” said Chetkiewicz.

[moof]

1. Who knew ? Men are cats ?

Is beer considered a food ?

[greendog]

2. Depressing, more wild animals with radio collars.....

....the money would be better spent ripping out the paved highway and replacing it with a rutted single lane gravel road. Hire local kids to throw rocks at passing motorists. Discourage frivolous human travel through wild areas!