Most cougar deaths in Alberta study were caused by people
Patrick Cummins once had a cougar cross his backyard, climb onto his deck and walk across the roof of his home. Cummins, who lives near Bergen, Alta., didn't see the cougar. He only saw its tracks in the snow. In 51 years living on the property, Cummins has never seen a cougar there with his own eyes, though he has caught the elusive predators on trail cameras. "We always knew there was cougars there," Cummins said. "I suppose we were sort of always looking over our shoulder a little bit, but they've never bothered anybody around here that I know of." But tracks can make an otherwise invisible predator vulnerable. A cougar crosses Patrick Cummins's property near Bergen, Alta., on Feb. 7. New research examines how the human footprint affects cougar survival in west-central Alberta. (Submitted by Patrick Cummins) New research from west-central Alberta suggests roads, homes and other…