Released on November 10, 2016
The Government of Saskatchewan is implementing a number of new initiatives to complement some of the measures already in place to reduce cougar conflicts and improve public safety.“Sightings have become more common in the Cypress Hills region and along the entire length of the forest fringe from Meadow Lake to Hudson Bay,” Environment Minister Scott Moe said. “Although cougars are a protected animal and are a natural part of the Saskatchewan landscape, we take the concerns of residents seriously and will implement measures to reduce conflicts.”
Conservation officers and Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation staff will remain the first point of contact for all predator-related complaints. Conservation officers will continue to investigate all incidents where public safety is at risk and will now respond in one or more of the following ways:
- contact a local predator control specialist to trap and dispatch the cougar;
- acquire the services of trained houndsmen to help deal with known cougar encounters;
- ensure that specialized equipment, including functional live traps, is available in problem areas;
- allow landowners to retain animals killed when protecting property, under a permit.
“We believe that the additional measures the Ministry of Environment has put into place are a positive step toward reducing cougar conflicts,” Saskatchewan Stock Growers President Shane Jahnke said. “Cougar encounters have become more frequent in many areas of the province, and these measures will provide more options to address public safety concerns and incidences of livestock predation.”
“We are pleased to see that the Ministry of Environment is implementing new initiatives to deal with cougars,” Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) President Ray Orb said. “As cougars have been an ongoing threat to public safety and to livestock, SARM's members have passed resolutions over the years requesting more attention to this matter. SARM is hopeful that these initiatives will reduce cougar incidents and protect our members’ livestock.”
Trappers who incidentally trap a cougar will be allowed to keep and sell the cougar pelts with a permit. They must report it to a conservation officer to ensure that accurate harvest records are maintained and biological samples can be acquired.
In addition, the ministry will issue permits to rural municipalities that are experiencing ongoing concerns with cougars to bring in an approved specialist to deal with specific human-wildlife conflicts.
The exact population of cougars in Saskatchewan is difficult to determine. Cougars are evasive, secretive and wary of humans, and they typically avoid human activity.
Anyone who is having problems with cougars or other predators should contact their local Ministry of Environment office or call the TIP line, 24 hours a day, at 1-800-667-7561 or from their SaskTel cell phone at #5555.
More information about human-wildlife conflict is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/environment-public-health-and-safety/wildlife-issues/problem-wildlife.
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For more information, contact:
Ron Podbielski
Environment
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6595
Email: ron.podbielski@gov.sk.ca