‘There are cougars around:’ Attack a stark reminder for Alberta family
EDMONTON — When Laura Frost first read about a person being killed by a cougar recently in Washington state, she was immediately reminded that the big cats can be anywhere.
“We need to take it a lot more seriously than a lot of people do,” said Frost, a professor emeritus in the biological sciences department at the University of Alberta. “This was a 100-pound cougar that attacked one person and killed another.
“Two people couldn’t defend themselves against a hungry, thin cougar — that’s how strong they are.”
Frost and her husband, Ed, know all too well about how important it is to be safe in the wilderness. Their daughter, Frances, was killed by a cougar in Banff National Park in January 2001.