Possible cougar sighting caught on video
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/03/2025 (195 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A suspected cougar sighting has been viewed by thousands of Westman residents after an animal was recorded walking through a Waywayseecappo field in broad daylight on Wednesday.
Danielle Shingoose of Waywayseecappo First Nation told the Sun she caught the video, which was taken at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday. A large four-legged animal with a long tail is seen walking in a field before it enters a forested area, at maximum distance as her camera can zoom.
“I was just about to take out the trash and I looked out the window and saw something moving in the field,” said Shingoose. “It looked like a big cat, so I took my phone out and started recording.”
A video screengrab shows a large four-legged animal crossing a field in the southern part of Waywayseecappo First Nation on Wednesday. From hundreds of feet away, Danielle Shingoose recorded the video showing what appears to be a cougar due to its long tail. An executive with Friends of Riding Mountain National Park told the Sun the animal is likely a cougar. Shingoose told the Sun police launched a drone to find the animal, but the search failed. (Danielle Shingoose)
Shingoose zoomed her camera through her window and captured the animal as it crossed a clearing for 20 seconds. She sent the video to her family’s chat, a video which her family would later upload to Facebook.
A family member called the police and an officer with Manitoba First Nations Police Service attended the home in south Waywayseecappo and launched a drone to locate the animal. The search failed, however, and Shingoose said people are still on the lookout for the suspected cougar as of Thursday afternoon.
George Hartlen, CAO of Friends of Riding Mountain National Park, said there’s credibility to the theory that the animal came from the nearby park. He said Riding Mountain is a dominant location for cougar sightings in the area, and the animals are known to exist in stretch over to Saskatchewan.
In reviewing the video, Hartlen said it was likely a cougar witnessed on Wednesday. He explained that few local animals can be confused with a cougar, and some are ruled out by the video that shows the animal’s tail.
“Cougars are pretty standout animals,” said Hartlen. “Typically, if it’s a long tail on the back, it’s usually a cougar. Because lynx and bobcats are a totally different-looking, smaller animal. It’s hard to mistake a cougar for another type of cat.”
Hartlen added that a wolf would have had a bushy tail, which was not the case at Waywayseecappo. The sunshine and near-zero temperatures as of recent make a good time for a cougar sighting, he said — and they are likely roaming and hunting for food.
Waywayseecappo resident Ayden Brandon told the Sun that deer (a primary food source for cougars) are common to see around the First Nation.
» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com