Cougar image caught on trail camera in Dunn County, Wis.
Cat is similar size to one spotted in north suburbs
By Andy Rathbun
arathbun@pioneerpress.comUpdated: 12/23/2009 12:10:05 AM CST
A cougar was photographed by a trail camera Saturday night near Downsville, Wis. The animal is believed to be the same one that left tracks last week along farmland in Spring Valley, Wis. (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)A cougar has been caught on camera in Dunn County, Wis.
It's likely the same animal that left tracks last week along farmland in the village of Spring Valley, Wis., officials said. A trail camera captured a photo of the big cat Saturday night as it was walking southwest of Downsville, Wis.
On Monday, it was discovered that the cougar had killed a buck fawn. The fawn was found about 100 yards from where the photo was taken, said Jess Carstens, wildlife biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources office in Menomonie.
The partially eaten fawn had been covered with cornstalks, Carstens said, calling that a common way for cougars to hide their kills. The cougar returned to the carcass for leftovers at some point, and fresh tracks were observed Tuesday.
Carstens estimated the fawn weighed 90 to 100 pounds. The spot where the kill was found is the cougar's last known location, Carstens said.
The DNR will monitor the kill site to see if the cougar returns, said Ed Culhane, a DNR spokesperson.
The cougar appears to be moving southeast at a rate of five to seven miles per day, officials said.
Last Wednesday, a farmer in Spring Valley spotted what he believed were cougar tracks. It was confirmed Friday that the tracks belonged to a cougar, and hair samples from the site were collected for testing, said Harvey Halvorson, a wildlife biologist for the DNR.
It's not clear whether the cougar in Wisconsin is the same animal seen crossing
through the Twin Cities' northern suburbs earlier this month, Halvorson said. That animal was last spotted Dec. 11 in Stillwater.
Officials have said the recent cougar tracks in Minnesota and Wisconsin appear to be similar in size.
The DNR has no immediate plans to capture the animal, Culhane said in a statement. Landowners in the area are being asked to report any signs of the animal to the department.
Though confirmed reports of cougars in the area are rare, cougar tracks were found
(Courtesy the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.)in May in Pepin County and one was seen in March near Spooner, Wis.
Cougars are protected animals in Wisconsin. It's illegal to kill them except to protect a human from injury. Cougars typically avoid humans, and the risk of one attacking someone is small, officials say.
For more information on how to report cougar sightings, visit dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/ mammals/cougar/sightings. htm.
Andy Rathbun can be reached at 651-228-2121.
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