Cougar sighting in Canso?

Posted on Jul 13 2007 in News

by Josh Measures

There have been recent sightings of a large animal in Canso - with some residents speculating it could be a cougar.

Mona Monroe says she spotted the animal the evening of July 3 as she was standing by her kitchen window.

“I came to the window and I thought ‘that is too small for Sally’s dog’. I thought oh my god, I don’t know what that is, and it was looking right at me. It was scary. All of a sudden it turned sideways, and when it did, it was long, and it’s tail was even longer with a curl at the end,” said Monoe.

Monroe, who owns two cats, and takes care of a number of wild kittens, was more worried about her cats’ lives than her own.

“I wanted to make sure the kitties were safe,” said Monroe.

To demonstrate the size of the animal she saw, Monroe picked up her massive tabby cat. “It was at least three times bigger than him,” she said, referring to the tabby.

Monroe contacted both the RCMP and the department of land and forestry immediately. The department gave Mona an all-night number to call in case the animal came back. Fortunately, she has not had to make the call yet.

AJ Taylor, owner of AJ’s pub, says he also saw a large animal while walking home from work last week around 3 a.m. Although Taylor could not confirm what kind of animal it was, he was willing to admit that there was “definitely a possiblity” that it could be a cougar.

RCMP Constable Kenny says wild animals are generally the department of natural resources’ jurisdiction, but the RCMP would ensure the safety of Canso citizens if the animal was spotted.

The cougar will eat any kind of animal it can catch, and has even been known to take down large moose.

If you do spot the mysterious animal, do not hesitate to call the department of natural resources wildlife division at (902) 679-6091.