Cougar sighting reported on Ingraham Trail, says ENR

The NWT Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) is advising residents about a possible cougar sighting on the Ingraham Trail.

In a Facebook post on Monday afternoon, the department says they received a report on Sunday at 1pm of a cougar crossing the highway between the Cameron Falls trailhead and the Reid Lake Campground.

According to the post, cougar sightings are rare in the territory’s North Slave Region, but not unheard of.

The department recommends anyone walking, hiking or camping in this area to be alert, stay in a group, keep children nearby, and dogs on a leash.

“Cougars are secretive and rarely seen, but can be aggressive and unpredictable if they encounter people,” the post states.

An Environment and Natural Resources file photo of a cougar.

If you do encounter a cougar, the department says to stay calm, maintain eye contact with the animal, back away slowly, speak loudly and firmly, and raise your arms or use a stick to make yourself look bigger. ENR warns not to turn your back on the cougar and not to run. If you are attacked by a cougar, the department says to fight back.

Anyone who sees a cougar is asked to report the sighting as soon as it is safe to do so to the North Slave office.