Cougar’s more than 1,000-km journey from Sask. to Manitoba at centre of new museum exhibit

The Manitoba Museum has recently unveiled a captivating new permanent exhibit that sheds light on the enigmatic prairie cougar and the challenges it faces in today’s environment. Titled “The Cougar – Manitoba’s Big Cat,” the exhibit follows the remarkable journey of a cougar named SK-10, who roamed across vast distances throughout its 10-year lifespan.

Born in the Cypress Hills area of southwestern Saskatchewan, SK-10 traveled over 1,000 kilometers to eventually find itself in Manitoba. Fitted with a satellite tracking collar as part of a study by the University of Alberta, the cougar’s movements were closely monitored as it ventured from Saskatchewan to Montana and back, before settling in Moose Mountain near the Manitoba border. Despite the collar malfunctioning, SK-10 was later spotted in Riding Mountain National Park through trail cameras from 2016 to 2018. Tragically, the cougar met its end in Duck Mountain after getting caught in a legal coyote snare in February 2020.

The Manitoba Museum received the call about SK-10 from the Manitoba Wildlife branch and worked with the Assiniboine Park Zoo to prepare the cougar for the exhibit. Visitors can now explore the cougar’s story through interpretative panels, photos from trail cams, and view the predator’s fully mounted skeleton and skin. Curator of zoology, Randall Mooi, hopes that the exhibit will educate people about the elusive nature of cougars and the challenges they face in finding suitable habitats. Despite cougars likely inhabiting Manitoba for thousands of years, they were only officially confirmed in the province in 1973.

Mooi emphasizes the importance of understanding the impact of human activities on the environment, noting that cougars like SK-10 have to travel long distances to find suitable living spaces due to habitat loss. The exhibit aims to raise awareness about the struggles faced by these majestic creatures and encourage visitors to consider their interactions with the environment. Through the story of SK-10, the exhibit provides a unique opportunity to learn about the lives of cougars in Manitoba and the importance of conservation efforts.

For more information on the exhibit, you can listen to an audio feature on Information Radio – MB that delves into the fascinating journey of SK-10 and the significance of the exhibit at the Manitoba Museum.