I Say the Eastern Cougar Exists. St. Croix Courier, January, 2013
1
r .. I" r IIDIIDIU nIID,Il\ all1 " tD U, Tonuurv 18, ..!() 1 J THE OJ1i1!JnOJX!OJJJs@JOJ!Pi1 COURIER WEEKEND __£J__ _ _ _ Q_ REFLECTING THE COUNTY flOW 7 I believe in cougars, and I'm not alone After years of wolf sightings; a dead ani- mal and some DNA tests the of Natural Recourses is ready to concede there are wolves in New Brunswick. Yet this department will also tell you there are no resident cougar speCies in this province and that more than 90 per cent of all such sightings are false. Just about anybody in Charlotte County, myself included, will, say there's a different tell. People in this province have been lead to believe seeing a Martian shop.ping at the Super Store or a UFO landing at Todd's Point are more prob- able than seeing one of these elusive cats. Some scientists and media reports give a snide view of these firsthand accounts, making the tracking and documentation of the events even more difficult. In October of 2005 I was driving toward St. Stephen on Board Road at 10 a.m. on a clear morning. As I crested a small knoll where a straightaway of road lay ahead I saw what at first appeared to be a large dog, like a great Dane, coming up out of the ditch on the right hand side of the road. I slowed my vehicle and watched as this tan- coloured animal, with a box-like head and small ears walked in a crouched stance as it began its trek across the road. It seemed to fill the full span of the road and when I saw the long, scooped tail I realized what I was looking at. It moved quickly down into the left ditch and disappeared into the alders. I had to pull over and put the truck in park to gather my thoughts. It was such a large ani- mal and I knew I had just seen the "ghost cat." I decided not to'tell anyone for fear onhe potential ridicule that would follow. It wasn't until about three weeks later, at a hunter's breakfast in Rolling Dam, I finally admitted what I had seen to a group of friends around the table. I was surprised to learn each of them had their own story of either seeing the big cat or its prints or of knowing someone who had heard it in the woods. I was referred to Wayne Beau- master, our local Charlotte County cougar authority, who,had some hair-rising stories to tell about his sightings and interactions with these "non-existent" creatures. Beaumaster and the provincial experts do not see eye to eye on the evidence'he has collected, despite an exhaustive chronicled record of sightings which videos, pictures, audio recordings and track casts dating back to October 2001. The 2005 June/July issue of "Eas.tern Woods and Waters" discusses thediscov- ery of Cougar DNA evidence from Fundy Park and the October/November 2005 is- sue of. the same publication critiqued the evidence Wayne Beaumaster had contrib- uted. Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroff re- viewed the photos and other materials find was quoted as saying "Speaking as a sci- entist, I believe he has enough evidence." Biologist Cate libby looked at the photo's and suggested they were feral cats of one kind or another while biologist Rod Cum- berland didn't think the cats in the picture weighed more than 20 pounds. So, I guess it begs the question; how can so many people be wrong? I spoke with Don McAlpine, head of zoology at the New Brunswick Museum , who told me most people see other animals and mistake them for cougars and because there is no dead or trapped specimens the validly of these sighting is not really recognized. There is , a form on the museum website to report a cougar sighting but there are currently no studies being done, no reports will be investigated and tllere are no plans for any cougar research in the future. I applaud BeaUlllaster for his passion and commitment to chronicling the move- ments of these "ghost cats" in Charlotte County and for taking his stand against beaurocratic biologists ready to tell us all how stupid' we are. The average New Brunswick resident can tell the difference between a 30-lb raccoon and a one-ton moose. We also know the difference be- tween a 20-lb house cat and 250-lb cou- gar. The suggestion that more than 90 per cent of all cougar sightings are inaccurate leads me to wonder if there may be a hid- den agenda in the robust denial of cougar activity in this Province. Beaumaster shares this view and he believes the {ear of habitat restrictions would become an issue if the cat's presence could be determined. That might change things for the logging, min- eral and fracking companies who rely on crown land for their supply and research. As for me? I saw what I saw. There are not enough scientific statists to alter my perception or sway my belief that cougars are roaming in New Brunswick. Hopefully Beaumaster is still out there, loading his camera and keeping a vigil while the pow- ers that be continue to call me, him and all the other cougar sighters Too bad only a dead carcass will prove the existence of a live ,animal. Cindy Ferriere is a regular correspon- dent for the Courier who lives in Rolling- dam.
description
I believe in cougars, and I'm not alone After years of wolf sightings; a dead animal and some DNA tests the Department of Natural Recourses is ready to concede there are wolves in NewBrunswick. Yet this department will also tell you there are no cougars. This newspaper article examines the strange lobby that exists against recognizing the presence of the Eastern Cougar in New Brunswick.
Transcript of I Say the Eastern Cougar Exists. St. Croix Courier, January, 2013
.In~l r ..I" r l~lID:'-ln IIDIIDIU nIID,Il\ all1
" tD U, Tonuurv 18, ..!() 1 J THE
OJ1i1!JnOJX!OJJJs@JOJ!Pi1
COURIERWEEKEND
__£J__ _ _ _ Q_
REFLECTING THE COUNTY flOW 7
Ibelieve in cougars, and I'm not aloneAfter years of wolf sightings; a dead animal and some DNA tests the D~partment
of Natural Recourses is ready to concedethere are wolves in New Brunswick. Yet thisdepartment will also tell you there are noresident cougar speCies in this provinceand that more than 90 per cent of all suchsightings are false. Just about anybody inCharlotte County, myself included, will, saythere's a different tal~to tell. People in thisprovince have been lead to believe seeinga Martian shop.ping at the Super Store or aUFO landing at Todd's Point are more probable than seeing one of these elusive cats.Some scientists and media reports give asnide view of these firsthand accounts,making the tracking and documentation ofthe events even more difficult.
In October of 2005 I was driving towardSt. Stephen on Board Road at 10 a.m. on aclear morning. As I crested a small knollwhere a straightaway of road lay ahead Isaw what at first appeared to be a largedog, like a great Dane, coming up out of theditch on the right hand side of the road. Islowed my vehicle and watched as this tancoloured animal, with a box-like head andsmall ears walked in a crouched stance asit began its trek across the road. It seemedto fill the full span of the road and when Isaw the long, scooped tail I realized what Iwas looking at.
It moved quickly down into the left
ditch and disappeared into the alders. I hadto pull over and put the truck in park togather my thoughts. It was such a large animal and I knew I had just seen the "ghostcat." I decided not to'tell anyone for fearonhe potential ridicule that would follow.It wasn't until about three weeks later, at ahunter's breakfast in Rolling Dam, I finallyadmitted what I had seen to a group offriends around the table. I was surprisedto learn each of them had their own storyof either seeing the big cat or its prints orof knowing someone who had heard it inthe woods. I was referred to Wayne Beaumaster, our local Charlotte County cougarauthority, who,had some hair-rising storiesto tell about his sightings and interactionswith these "non-existent" creatures.
Beaumaster and the provincial expertsdo not see eye to eye on the evidence'he hascollected, despite an exhaustive chronicled
record of sightings which include~ videos,pictures, audio recordings and track castsdating back to October 2001.
The 2005 June/July issue of "Eas.ternWoods and Waters" discusses thediscovery of Cougar DNA evidence from FundyPark and the October/November 2005 issue of. the same publication critiqued theevidence Wayne Beaumaster had contributed. Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroff reviewed the photos and other materialsfindwas quoted as saying "Speaking as a scientist, I believe he has enough evidence."Biologist Cate libby looked at the photo'sand suggested they were feral cats of onekind or another while biologist Rod Cumberland didn't think the cats in the pictureweighed more than 20 pounds.
So, I guess it begs the question; howcan so many people be wrong? I spoke withDon McAlpine, head of zoology at the NewBrunswick Museum , who told me mostpeople see other animals and mistake themfor cougars and because there is no deador trapped specimens the validly of thesesighting is not really recognized. There is
, a form on the museum website to reporta cougar sighting but there are currentlyno studies being done, no reports will beinvestigated and tllere are no plans for anycougar research in the future.
I applaud BeaUlllaster for his passionand commitment to chronicling the move-
ments of these "ghost cats" in CharlotteCounty and for taking his stand againstbeaurocratic biologists ready to tell usall how stupid' we are. The average NewBrunswick resident can tell the differencebetween a 30-lb raccoon and a one-tonmoose. We also know the difference between a 20-lb house cat and 250-lb cougar. The suggestion that more than 90 percent of all cougar sightings are inaccurateleads me to wonder if there may be a hidden agenda in the robust denial of cougaractivity in this Province. Beaumaster sharesthis view and he believes the {ear of habitatrestrictions would become an issue if thecat's presence could be determined. Thatmight change things for the logging, mineral and fracking companies who rely oncrown land for their supply and research.
As for me? I saw what I saw. There arenot enough scientific statists to alter myperception or sway my belief that cougarsare roaming in New Brunswick. HopefullyBeaumaster is still out there, loading hiscamera and keeping a vigil while the powers that be continue to call me, him and allthe other cougar sighters wrong~ Too badonly a dead carcass will prove the existenceof a live ,animal.
Cindy Ferriere is a regular correspondent for the Courier who lives in Rollingdam.
