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65 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, December 13, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 15, 2004 Cougar strolls through northeast Medford neighborhood By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune A woman delivering newspapers on foot early Thursday said she came face to face with a cougar on Delta Waters Road in northeast Medford. Barney Miller said she was walking on Delta Waters Road near McLoughlin Street about 4:15 a.m. when she spied the animal walking casually in the street less than two houses away. "It was walking along like a dog," Miller said. "When he walked under a street light, I thought, ‘Ooooh, that’s no dog.’ " The animal ambled away, showing no fear of Miller, who did not approach it or run away, she said. Miller’s interlude is the latest in a string of reported cougar sightings among the Rogue Valley’s urban areas that are considered among the most cougar-rich locales in Oregon. Advertisement "This shouldn’t be a shock to anyone that they can show up anywhere," said Rosemary Stussy, a wildlife biologist who handles Rogue Valley damage complaints for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "I tell people, if you live in southwestern Oregon, you should assume you’re living with cougars." Cougars have been spotted recently around Eagle Point, White City, a trailer park near Savage Rapids Dam and around Griffin Creek Elementary School, Stussy said. A cougar killed a dog Wednesday night at a residence along Highway 140 near Meridian Road, and livestock have been killed in the Eagle Point area within the past month, Stussy said. The urban strays usually are younger cougars pushed out of more traditional habitat by older, larger cats, she said. Most come to town in search of food, and they tend to be small and skinny for their age, she said. Miller’s report is the first this year for inside the city limits around northeast Medford, and no reports of lost or killed pets have come in to the ODFW from there, Stussy said. In past years, cougars have been spotted in the same area, where they possibly live in nearby brush and wetlands and head into town at night. "There’s a new breed of cougar out there — urban transients," said Stussy, who added that the Rogue Valley generates two to three times the cougar sightings and damage complaints than anywhere else in Oregon. "They’ll go onto your porch for your cat and they’re interested in your garbage and barbecue," she said. There is no discharging of firearms within city limits, so residents cannot summon hunters to find and kill the cougar inside city limits. Stussy said urban and rural residents alike should reduce their risk of loss to cougars. Rural landowners could trim brush away from pastures to remove places for cougars to hide, and keep livestock in barns. Leaving food for deer or turkeys can lure in cougars, she said, as can leaving your pets outside. In urban areas, residents should bring in their dogs and cats at night and not leave pet food outside, she said. If someone sees a cougar or suffers cougar damage, they should inform their neighbors so they can keep their eyes open for the animal and take precautions, she said. "You don’t need to be an armed camp," she said. "But you need to be observant." By not running away, Miller had the right response because running can trigger a cougar’s instinct to chase, Stussy said. Miller, a district circulation manager for the Mail Tribune, said she encountered a cougar in a similar fashion in northeast Medford four years ago. She said she was certain it was not a dog. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities