Edmonton's top animal stories of 2015

It was a big year for animals in Edmonton, from controversy over culling coyotesto heart-warming stories of limb-heavy cats and leading geese to water.

Here are some of the most popular animal stories CBC Edmonton covered in 2015.

Quarrel over coyotes

The year in animals started out with controversyas the organizer behind a coyote-killing tournament reportedreceiving death threats over his involvement in the event.

"People are saying that I should be shot, that anybody who supports this should be dead," he told CBC News.

In the end, 11 teams signed up for the hunt, taking down 34 animals. Critics, meanwhile, called the competition and its like "reckless" and ineffective as a cull.

• Coyote hunt with cash prizes draws controversy, threats in Alberta
• Cash-prize coyote hunt no danger to animal population, biologist says
• Cash-prize coyote hunt draws more hunters following outcry
• Bounties on wolves and coyotes slammed as 'inhumane' by Alberta biologists

Coyotes then made the headlines once more in September after three dead cats were found in St. Albert. RCMP later ruled the deaths to be the result of coyotes training their pups to hunt.

Cougar encounters

"I was just having a smoke this morning in front of my garage and I heard him coming, heavy breathing like something you'd hear at the zoo. Next thing you know I just looked like this and he's like five feet away."

That's whatRobert Stebbings told CBC News after he had a close early-morning encounter with a cougar in his west Edmonton yard.

An Edmonton police member later shot and killed the animal after it charged at officers attempting to sedate it.

• 'I could hear him coming,' man says of close call with cougar

Just weeks earlier, two Australians shared their own hair-raising tale after fighting off a cougar in Jasper National Park.

• 'I just belted it:' Australians fight off cougar in Jasper National Park

Feline fancy

It was also a big year for famous felines in the CBC Edmonton newsroom.

In May, Edmonton AM was visited by a celebrity cat withmore than 500,000 followers on Instagram. From humble beginnings, Pudgethe Cat came to town to headline Edmonton's International Cat Festival in May.

• Pudge the Cat comes to Edmonton for international cat festival

'The Warrior Kitten'

His name is Henry.He lost a leg, but won hundreds of hearts last summer after the story of his rescue and subsequent rehabilitation went public.

• Edmonton Humane Society raising money for kitten hit by vehicle
• Henry the kitten has three legs up on a happy future

Nine lives and any number of legs

Just a week after Henry went down a leg, Edmonton AMlearned of another cat with the opposite problem.

Pauly the street cat was born with six legs four normal ones and two underdeveloped limbs that jutted out from his sternum. Every step was painful for the cat, who somehow managed on his own on the streets of southwest Edmonton until he was rescued by the Little Cats Lost Society.

After a successful surgery, Pauly himself minus two limbscame in to the studio to say hello.

"He should live a happy, healthy life," his rescuer said.

• 6-legged street cat awaits surgery, then adoption
• Pauly the 6-legged cat prepares for vital surgery
• Pauly the 6-legged cat is down two limbs but it's good news!

A 'squishable' star

It was quite literally the dog days of summer when we were introduced to Tonkey, a four-month-old bear coat sharpeiwho went viral after his owner posted a video of him with the hiccups.

As cute as Tonkey is, her ownertold CBC Newsbear coat sharpeis are not welcome in the dog show world, but for her and her husband, it was love at first sight.

• Tonkey the 'squishable' sharpei a star on Instagram

Man's best friend in a time of need

In May, CBC News learned about Morris, a sheepdog with an almost preternatural ability to detect people in need of a little extra comfort a skill which makes him an invaluable addition to the Baker Funeral Chapel where he works and lives.

• Morris the sheepdog comforts mourners at Wetaskiwin funeral home

Then there were the geese

It wouldn't be springtime in Edmonton without at least a couple of territorial mother geese complicating matters for homeowners and construction workersalike.

In Eaux Claires, a goose chose to feather her nest on the balcony of a fourth-floor condo unit under construction. When she made it clear she had no plans tomoveany time soon, several of the workers took to supplying her with fresh food and water.

• Nesting goose complicating construction on Eaux Claires condo

In Oliver, Ben Lavin set up a webcamto act as a baby monitor after a goose laid her eggs in a tomato planter on his 10th-floor balcony.

A few weeks later, the goslings left the nest, bound for the Edmonton river valley.

• Ben Lavin's webcam trained on mother goose and 5 eggs
• Oliver balcony goslings hatch, jump off 10th-floor balcony the next day

Fly away home

In August, an Alberta man captured his own privateFly Away Homeexperiencewhen he used his truck to lead a lost Canada goose to water.

• Canada goose follows Alberta forester's truck to water

And don'tforget ...

Here are a coupleof our other favourite furry stories covered this year:

Magpie whisperer remembers childhood raising 'Canadian parrots'

Trio of red panda cubs make their debut at Edmonton Valley Zoo

Flying squirrels, porcupines and others take refuge in Windsor Park yard

Eli the pot-bellied pig being moved to home in Ontario