Cougar Sighted on Upper Kenai River

Observation by Brian Berube: On the afternoon of June 30th, 2018 I was floating the Upper Kenai River. Coming around a bend a half mile or so above the mouth of the Russian River confluence, I saw a cougar walking out of the water up into the brush on the shoreline. It was on the Northside, opposite from the highway. While I only saw the backside of it, it’s tail, coat and size lead me to believe it could not have been anything else. This is the second time I have seen a cougar in the wild. The other time was years ago in Quebec.

Comment by LEO Network Editors: Cougar sightings are rare in Alaska. There are just two other observations by members in the LEO Network. One cougar was sighted along the Yukon River by Noah Whitwell and familty on July 1, 2008 . Another was caught on a game cam by Willard Hand of Tazlina, on April 21, 2016. Both of these sightings are include on the map (above) as well as observations reported in news media, including a sighting from October 2017 by Shauna Lee of Ketchikan. There is some speculation that cougars may become more common in Alaska as mule deer are beginning to migrate into the state from Western Canada. This observation has been shared with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Mike Brubaker