Cougar attacks cow in Juneau County
By BILL NOVAK | The Capital Times
The return of cougars to Wisconsin took an ugly turn on Saturday when one of the big cats attacked and severely injured a one-year-old heifer on a farm in Juneau County, authorities reported.
The cow had to be put down because of its injuries, the Department of Natural Resources said.
The attack was first reported by a turkey hunter on a farm in the town of Wonewoc in the far southwestern corner of the county, about 20 miles west of Wisconsin Dells.
According to the release from the DNR, the hunter heard sounds of the attack, and saw what he believed to be a cougar pulling the cow to the ground.
“He fired shots into the air to scare off the cat before leaving the area to contact the landowner,” the DNR said.
Tracks and other evidence at the scene appeared to confirm the predator was a cougar.
Adrian Wydeven, a DNR mammalian ecologist and wolf biologist, said the agency will handle the case as it does any other report of wild animals attacking livestock.
“This animal attacked livestock and that is the main reason we will try to capture it, if we can find it,” Wydeven said.
The DNR plans to set bait in the area and use motion-activated trail cameras to see if the big cat can be found.
If it is captured, the cougar will be euthanized for study and DNA sampling.
Attacks on people by cougars are rare, the DNR said.
“People hiking in areas where cougars are known to occur are advised to hike in groups, and keep small children in sight,” the DNR said.
“If a cougar approaches and does not immediately flee, stand tall, wave your arms, throw stones or other objects and yell,” the release said. “Don’t run, but slowly back away from the site, keeping your eyes on the cougar.”