Safety Protocol
CGRSC Field Circular 12-CDo not close distance
Remain where you are or move gradually toward a secure, well-lit area. Do not pursue for a photograph, recording, or clearer identification.
Do not crouch
Multiple witnesses report increased approach behavior after kneeling or crouching. The mechanism is unknown and the association may be coincidental.
Secure pets and loose objects
Bring small animals indoors. Leave displaced or missing lawn objects undisturbed until daylight if retrieval would require entering cover.
Do not offer ham
No Council-approved protocol involves feeding. Processed pork appears in enough historical reports to warrant specific prohibition.
Never follow into a culvert
This prohibition is absolute. It also applies to storm drains, crawlspaces, abandoned foundations, pipes, utility tunnels, and openings you cannot comfortably stand inside.
Do not imitate vocalizations
Playback and imitation may alter subject behavior and compromise later observations. If a call is heard, record it without responding.
Do not block the apparent exit route
Maintain open space between the subject and the nearest cover. Cornering has produced the least predictable witness accounts in the archive.
Record only what you observed
Note time, direction, duration, weather, nearby animals, sounds, lighting, and object movement. Separate direct observation from interpretation.
Recommended
Maintain distance.
Use exterior lighting.
Keep doors closed.
Write notes immediately.
Preserve original media.
Photograph traces with scale.
Report repeat activity.
Prohibited
Pursuit.
Trapping.
Feeding.
Whistle imitation.
Culvert entry.
Unsupervised baiting.
Attempted physical contact.
After an Encounter
Do not return immediately to test the site. Preserve original photographs and recordings. If tracks or disturbed objects are present, document them from multiple angles before moving anything. Record witness statements separately before comparing recollections.
Repeat activity at the same address should be reported under the original case number whenever possible.
Field-language reference
Safety training uses several Council shorthand terms, including culvert temptation and ham contamination. Definitions are maintained in the Field Glossary.