Hamilton bylaw officers dispatched after ‘large catlike animal’ spotted near Dundas

Big cats are clawing their way back into local news following reports of multiple sightings of, well, something.

In a tweet Friday, the City of Hamilton said it received a number of reports of a large catlike animal" in the area of York Road in Dundas.

A bylaw officer was dispatched that day to patrol the area, according to the tweet. It's unclear how many sightings were called in and how long city staff were slated to patrol the area.

When reached by The Spectator, a city spokesperson said no further information would be available until Monday. The Spectator has also reached out to the ministry of natural resources and forestry but has not yet received a response.

The tweet from the city came just days after Hamiltonians began discussing potential cougar sightings on both Facebook and Reddit.

The latest supposed spotting comes months after door-cam footage caught a large cat stalking across a London Street South lawn last summer (the fourth such report in Steeltown since 2020). However, the province came to the verdict that it was just a big house cat making its way around the neighbourhood.

Last May, a Greensville-area resident reported an alleged backyard cougar. The city has also been asked to look into unconfirmed sightings in both Stoney Creek and along Burlington Street.

Most reported cougar sightings in Ontario are misidentified wildlife like dogs, lynx or coyotes suffering from a skin disease like mange. Occasionally, though, big cats escape from small zoos or even private homes.

There is some evidence to suggest wild cougars have returned to Ontario, including DNA found in the Wainfleet bog in 2004. That discovery prompted years of unconfirmed or false sightings including one along Highway 403 in Hamilton that turned out to be a mangy coyote killed by a vehicle.

The city is asking any residents to report any possible big cat sightings to Animal Services by calling 905-574-3433.

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com