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Q:Was this a regular skateboard, or a longboard?

A: I believe it was a longboard, yeah.

Q: Is it common for people to be longboarding in that area?

A: No, not normally. He was on a wooded trail, so he was carrying the board.

Q:And how common is it that residents of Banff get attacked by cougars?

A: This is very unusual behaviour. There are a number of animals we know live around the town of Banff. We know that from our wildlife camera data and winter tracking. But cougars are very, very wary animals. You’re lucky if you ever see one. Most of our staff here have only had a few sightings in their entire career. They’re also very selective in their prey, so when we see an animal displaying this kind of behaviour, it’s a tremendous concern. This was a young man, probably in his mid 20s, average height, 5’8”, 5’6”.

Q:For a cougar to attack a man this size in relative health is really weird, no?

A: It’s a bad sign. It generally indicates an animal that is either young and hasn’t learned to hunt properly, or an old animal in such poor body condition that it’s resorting to easier prey.

Q: Was the man involved injured?

A: Not at all, he received no injuries. That’s very rare. It’s a very large animal.

Q:So everyone is on red alert?

A: We’ve closed the area and are doing a lot of work with media, on Facebook, Twitter and local radio getting the message out to residents and visitors of Banff to be extra cautious and what the precautions are to take.

Q:Would one of the precautions involve staying the hell away?