A photo taken early Wednesday morning of an adult cougar near the site where it killed a dog. (Photo courtesy of Monty Krauss).

By Alex McCuaig

Cougar thought to be more than 150 pounds

Cougar kill near Eagle Butte Road has resident warning of feline population in the Cypress Hills

May 14, 2020 | 4:30 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A long time resident of the Cypress Hills is warning of a cougar showing some uncharacteristic behaviour after it attacked and killed his dog.

David Carter, who lives next to St. Margaret’s Church on Eagle Butte Road, said his five-year-old Norwegian elkhound Sage went missing earlier this week and he initially believed the beloved outdoor pet may have just strayed.

But a subsequent search of the area turned up the pet, buried in a fashion common for cougar kills.

A picture of Sage – a five-year-old Norwegian elkhound killed by a cougar earlier this week.

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Carter said he first came upon a front leg bone and said, “I knew he was dead. I went over to the pile, pushed back the straw and saw his velvet ear and I pushed it down further and I could see his chest.”

The dog’s remains were recovered and a trail camera was set up by neighbour Monty Krauss near the kill site to capture a photo of the suspect feline as it returned to the scene.

Photos captured a large male cougar with an estimated weight of between 150 and 165 pounds.

Reports of healthy male cougars killing dogs are rare in the Cypress Hills and outside the Elkwater townsite.

Carter says this incident is a signal that more attention should be paid to the population of the felines in the Cypress Hills and warns others with dogs or small children to be aware when travelling on foot in the area.