Cougar next to a daycare was one of two shot in Lake Country yesterday

Two cougars were shot yesterday in Lake Country – one outside the daycare at Winfield Boys and Girls Club on Berry Road – the other in Oyama.

The animal discovered outside the daycare was reported to be watching the children from the branches of a pine tree.

Care providers moved the children safely indoors and called for a conservation officer to remove the predator from the area.

Nobody was harmed in either incident.

The Ministry of Environment offers tips to deal with a cougar encounter. To help keep children safe they say:

• Cougars seem to be attracted to children, possibly because of their high-pitched voices, small size and erratic movements; these character traits may make it difficult for cougars to identify children as humans and not prey.
• Talk to your children and teach them what to do if they encounter a cougar.
• Children playing outdoors should play in-groups.  Children shouldn't be left unsupervised.
• Consider getting a dog or using a dog as an early warning system.  A dog can see, smell and hear a cougar sooner than a human.
• Consider erecting a fence around play areas.
• Keep a radio playing
• Make sure children are home before dusk and stay indoors until after dawn – the period of time cougars are most active.
• If there have been cougar sightings, escort children to the bus stop early in the morning.  Clear shrubs away from around the bus stops, making a radial area of ~ 9 metres.
• Having a light installed at the bus stop will also increase security.