Worker says he saw a cougar near Petrolia school

One of the owners of a Petrolia golf course is questioning recent social media posts about a cougar in the area.

Recently, Cody Shepperd, who works for HHS cutting lawns at local schools, says he saw a cougar.

“I saw a full grown cougar when I was cutting the grass at Hillcrest school on First Ave,” he wrote on Facebook Monday. ” Shepperd says it was between 150 and 200 pounds but didn’t have his phone so he didn’t get a photo.

“It was down in the flats behind the school. I saw a neighbour outside, so I warned him and he told me that hes been helping at the golf course and they came across half of a dead baby deer; so it has been hungry and on the prowl.”

Joe Gorzeman is one of the owners of Kingswell Glen. He’s skeptical a cougar has been on the property.

“I find it hard to believe that there’s a cougar around here. Cougars don’t leave their kills, they take their kills back home to their dens,” he says. “Someone finding a half-eaten deer doesn’t bode well with me on the wildlife front.

“If someone actually has a photo of it and says that they saw it I’ll believe it, but I haven’t actually seen it.

“I’ve known people that have seen coyotes and called them wolverines and mythical beasts”

This is not the first time residents have raised concerns about the possibility of a cougar in the area. In 2014, six people spoke to The Sarnia Journal saying they had seen the big cat. And Petrolian Richard Poore found what appeared to be a cougar print in his backyard in the snow.

Many people questioned what Shepperd thought he saw, but both he and Gorzeman says people should keep their eyes open, just in case.

“But if there is a cougar, when you’re out walking just always look behind you and be careful,” says Gorzeman.