With the warmer weather, encounters with wildlife often increase. Among the most alarming are cougar sightings near neighborhoods and other populated areas.
Christopher Yee is a wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Springfield office. He says cougar activity in the region is probably going to be normal this year.
“But with people being home and all of the trail camera and doorbell devices and security cameras, people are seeing them more," he explains.
"And it’s not that their population has increased, it’s just that there’s other ways for people to detect them, other than just visually observing them.”
In other words, it’s not that cougars are growing in numbers…it’s just that technology has helped us become more aware of them.
All the same, it's best not to provide temptation for these large and powerful animals. Limiting access to garbage cans and other food sources are ways to not draw big cats to your area.
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