WildSafeBC is warning residents of the Kootenays about an increase in reported cougar activity, noting some of the animals are showing unusually bold behaviour.
“The bold behaviour is concerning. We want cougars to still have the fear of human beings that they should have, and so that bold behaviour is a worry,” said Karly McMullen, communications specialist with WildSafeBC.
“If there’s a known cougar that’s active in your area, it’s time to take extra precaution. If you do let your pets out at night, that would be trying to bring them in as much as possible, having them inside, and having them on leash when you’re on trails.
“If there’s a cougar active in a certain trail area, I’d recommend looking for a different trail to do that day.”
Over the holiday period, cougars have been sighted in Castlegar and the Slocan Valley.
McMullen said safety and knowledge are key to avoiding an incident.
“If you do come across a cougar, it’s important just to maintain eye contact with them and you never want to run, so never turn your back, never run, maintain that eye contact and if you do have bear spray, that would be a time to deploy it if the cougar is approaching.”
She said cougar sightings increase during the winter as the animals become more active at dusk and dawn—times when people are still out—and may need to travel farther to find food.
“Those two factors combined, we tend to see more interactions and conflicts in winter, so it’s a good reminder just to make sure you’re prepared and you’re extra alert when you’re on the trails in winter.”
WildSafeBC also recommends supervising children at all times and visiting its website for more safety tips.
“You can learn about why they might be in your area and how they follow their prey. They’ll follow deer, and if you’re around big groups of deer, you can know that a cougar might be active in the area.”
More information is available at: wildsafebc.com/species/cougar.
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