A bobcat is believed to be the culprit in a series of Okotoks goose deaths.
A Facebook post by Air Ranch property manager Bryce Medd on Nov. 10 attributes multiple "goose kill sites" to at least one bobcat in the area.
"If you leave your pets outside overnight, know predators are 'working' the area," reads the social media warning.
The warning comes amid increased reports of bobcat sightings in the Air Ranch area.
The goose remains are "nothing but a collection of down and feathers," said Medd.
"They (the bobcat) make a complete meal out of it," he said.
According to Medd, who has captured footage of one bobcat so far, a report was not made to Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
"It's just a courtesy to the neighbourhood," he said. "If their animals are out in the night, there are predators around."
"Bobcats are opportunistic hunters, so protect your pets. Keep cats indoors and supervise small dogs when they are outside. Always keep a safe distance from bobcats, and if you have a pet, do not let it approach the bobcat," reads a statement by Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
Twice the size of their domestic counterparts, bobcats are more than capable of killing pet cats, as was the case recently in Calgary, where a bobcat was reported to have killed a pet cat during the summer.
There are no recorded human fatalities associated with bobcats anywhere in the world.
While encountering a bobcat in Okotoks is unlikely, and a negative interaction even more so, it is important to keep bobcat safety in mind as wild animals continue to venture into residential areas.
To keep bobcats away, the statement advises people to "remove any food, shelter or water that may attract them to your property," including pet food and bird feeders. In addition, "trees, shrubs and even grass should be kept trimmed so there is no shelter for bobcats to hide in," and "spaces under decks and outbuildings should be closed off for the same reason."
The bobcat report is the latest in a series of confirmed predatory wildlife sightings in Okotoks, including a black bear seen roaming through Westmount in September and a cougar filmed near the Sheep River Park disc golf course in October.
As Okotoks is located in a wildlife corridor that many animals may go through as they make their way along the Sheep River Valley, residents are likely to encounter wild animals, ranging from deer and waterfowl to potentially more dangerous predators.
Encounters with bobcats and other dangerous wildlife can be reported to Alberta Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-642-3800.
