Fundy National Park, New Brunswick

In 2003, Parks Canada biologists in Fundy National Park retrieved two hair samples from "hair snares" that tested positive for cougar DNA.

July 2003 - Fundy National Park (45º 37' N - 79º 02' W).

Hair sample collected from an Envirotel hair snare. DNA analyses shows that it was from a South or Central American subspecies.

October 2003 - 2nd hair sample collected from an Envirotel hair snare. DNA analyses shows that it was from the North American subspecies.

The two samples were found within a short distance of one another, and were collected over a three-month period. Subsequent testing indicated that the samples came from two different animals. One sample reflected the South/Central American cougar genotype; the other sample reflected the North American cougar genotype. Thus, the cougar sample of South American genotype was definitively of captive origin. The sample reflecting the North American genotype could possibly be of a wild cat. The Cougar Network currently classifies the North American sample as a "confirmation," however, the proximity in time and space of two completely unrelated animals in an area not known to harbor a population of cougars seems improbable, and raises questions about the origin of both animals. Subsequent efforts by biologists to substantiate the presence of cougars in this area have been unsuccessful.