Last week, conservation officers were forced to shoot a bobcat that had repeatedly attacked dogs in Squamish.
On Thursday (May 15), officers were called to an incident near Alice Lake Provincial Park after a bobcat went after a dog. It was the latest in a string of encounters that occurred this week, said Cst. Simon Gravel of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. Officers made the decision to shoot the bobcat after the encounter, he said.
The uncharacteristic behaviour raised alarm bells, he noted. Many bobcats live between Garibaldi Highlands and Alice Lake; however, the male was making his presence known, Gravel said.
“We never like to have to destroy the animals,” he said. “We do believe there was a bit of an unusual behaviour displayed.”
On Wednesday (May 14), a Squamish resident — who asked that his name be withheld out of fear of repercussions — his three friends and their four dogs were walking along Mashiter Trail, just north of Glacier View and Thunderbird, when the bobcat jumped out at a dog on the trail.
“I am guessing it was around 40 pounds,” the resident said of the bobcat.
The dogs were ahead of the group when a bobcat went after them. One of the dogs then chased the bobcat down a hill and another briefly faced off with it. The staredown turned into a small scrap. The dog came out of the rumble with a nick on her face, he said.
“We were in the vets for a follow-up today [May 15] and they were treating another dog that encountered the bobcat,” the resident said.
While growing up in Southern California, he saw a lot of bobcats, but none so brazen. The bobcat reportedly attacked a dog on leash, he added.
“This isn’t normal behaviour for a bobcat. That concerns me,” the resident said, noting the feline wasn’t afraid of the gaggle of people and dogs.
There were several reports of the bobcat having approached dogs during the past week, Gravel said, noting one of them was a Labrador retriever, which isn’t a small breed. The bobcat seemed fearless, he said.
Two pets reportedly died from injuries, Gravel said. None of the bobcat’s hunting missions was successful, he noted, adding he wasn’t certain whether the attacks were food-driven. Bobcats are territorial, he said.
There is a healthy community of wildlife in the region, Gravel said. That includes bobcats and cougars, he noted. In forested areas, dogs should be on leash, he said. If you come across a bobcat, face it, make yourself big and be loud, he noted. Any sighting should be reported to the conservation service by calling 1-877-952-7277.
