Authorities are urging residents to stay alert and not allow pets or small children venture out on trails alone after a cougar exhibited behaviour that showed it's not afraid of humans.
Sgt. Peter Busink of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service on Monday (Oct. 1) said the big cat was sighted three times in the Bracken Park Way area of Brackendale on Friday (Sept. 28).
During one of those incidents, the cougar “displayed some behaviour toward a person that was of concern,” Busink said. “It wasn't aggressive but it was showing that it was habituated toward humans, not backing away.”
On Saturday (Sept. 29), authorities spend “a good part of the day” roaming around the Bracken Park Way area with three dogs described as “cougar hounds.” No further cougar sightings were recorded that day and the cougar hasn't been seen since, Busink said.
“We definitely are recommending that people be on alert, keep pets on leash or indoors and have kids walk in groups and on the main roadways, not on the trails,” he said. “We're just waiting to see if the cougar is still in the area or not.”
Those who do spot a cougar are urged to phone the Ministry of Environment's 24-hour RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
