City of Ashland officials are warning residents and tourists to take precautions after a man walking his dog spotted a cougar feeding on a deer carcass on a Lithia Park trail at about 7 a.m. today."This is a the fifth kill of a similar nature in the past few weeks, but the first in which a confirmed sighting was associated with a kill," Ashland Parks and Recreation Department Director Don Robertson said.
The man walking his dog this morning saw the cougar on a dirt trail that links the end of Pioneer Street near the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to the parks department office in the middle of Lithia Park. He reported the cougar sighting to parks staff. An Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division trooper examined the remains of the deer and confirmed that it had been killed by a cougar, city officials said.
Other recent kills in the park include deer and a few turkeys, officials said. Robertson said city workers aren't sure whether the other dead animals recently found in Lithia Park were all killed by cougars, or by other animals such as dogs, coyotes or bobcats.
"People need to be aware and alert when they're out there in Lithia Park," Robertson said. "It is part of the forest interface, just like many homes in town. As we are approaching Memorial Day weekend, we thought the prudent thing was to let people know what they should do in Lithia Park."
Children and adults should not run away if they see a cougar.
"That will trigger the chase instinct in a cougar," Robertson said.
Although there have been no confirmed reports of cougars injuring or killing humans in the past 100 years in Oregon, officials offered these safety tips for dealing with cougars:
- Be especially cautious at dawn and dusk when cougars are most active.
- Hike in groups and make noise to avoid surprising a cougar.
- If you spot a cougar, stay calm and back away slowly from the cougar while talking to it. Leave it an escape route.
- Do not crouch down or turn your back.
- Make yourself appear bigger through actions like raising your arms.
- Pick up any small children and hold them.
- If the cougar becomes aggressive, shout, wave your arms and throw rocks to convince the animal that you are a potential danger.
- Fight back if attacked. Do not "play dead."
If another dead animal is found, officials want to determine as quickly as possible whether it was killed by a cougar, Robertson said. Anyone spotting a dead animal should leave the area immediately and contact the Ashland Police Department at 541-488-5211 and the Ashland Parks Department at 541-488-5340. Both numbers are monitored 24 hours a day, so leave a message if a someone doesn't answer the phone in person. Source
