A nature photographer is taking the fight to Canadian authorities over what he calls an unlawful killing of a cougar that left her two cubs orphaned.
John Marriott says he has been tracking the female cougar for four years in the Grotto Canyon area near the town of Canmore, Alberta. He describes her as a “ghost neighbor” and a “perfect example of a cat that is wonderful at coexisting and respecting humans and living right beside us without us really knowing it.”
In that time, Marriott has never gotten a photo of the cougar but has captured her on his trail cameras on a couple of occasions. When checking his remote cameras last month, he discovered cougar tracks and human tracks, prompting him to investigate.
“I staked it out in my vehicle because it was right by the road,” Marriott tells Global News Canada. “Then I saw cougar hunters coming out of the bush — and that was the moment of shock where I suddenly thought, ‘Is this the Canmore cougar — and they have killed her and orphaned some kittens?’”
Marriott says the hunters were well aware the cougar had kittens and that they, along with their hounds, chased the Mom up a tree and shot her with a bow and arrow. He calls the realization “completely demoralizing.”
Fate of the Kittens
Calgary Zoo has given a temporary home to the orphaned cougars who are approximately six months old. Mountain lions can’t survive without their mother until they’re one year old.
“We’re happy to share that they are in good body condition and are doing well. A full health exam will be conducted later this week,” the zoo says in a statement. “While their stay with us will be short, they’re receiving exceptional care as we work with industry partners to find them a safe, suitable forever home at another facility in Canada.”
Rocky Mountain Outlook notes that while it is legal to hunt cougars in the state of Alberta, it is unlawful to hunt young cougars with spotted fur or a female cougar that is mothering a young cougar with spotted fur.
But much to the chagrin of Marriott, the local Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES) have judged the hunt as legal.
“Following further investigation, FWES has determined that the reported harvesting of a female cougar in the Canmore area was done so legally as part of a regulated hunt,” says Sheena Campbell, director of communications for the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services.
Marriott strongly disagrees and says he has visited the young cubs at Calgary Zoo and says he can see faint spots on their coats. The photographer is continuing to bring attention to the case. For more updates, follow him on Instagram.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
