More predators stalk humans, experts say

January 30, 2002
Source: National Post
Original story - link verified on January 30, 2002
By Bev Wake

The chance of being stalked and killed by a hungry cougar or mauled by a black bear is on the rise. The odds of running into one of the country's most feared predators has climbed as their populations have grown and cities have expanded, encroaching on what was once wild land. The Boston Globe reported yesterday that of 142 documented deaths by bear or cougar attacks during the last 100 years, nearly half took place in the last decade alone. "The number of bears has grown. The number of people has grown," said Lynn Rogers, a wildlife biologist and president of the Wildlife Research Institute in Minnesota. "People are moving into bear habitat like never before."

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