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What to do if you encounter a cougar?

WildSafeBC advice in the wake of a boy attacked in Mission on Monday
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Not the cougar involved in the Mission incident. Cougar sightings are not uncommon in Squamish.

After a two-year-old boy suffered minor injuries from an encounter with a cougar in Mission on Monday, Squamish residents may want to brush up on their cougar protocol.

The toddler was part of a group that included an adult and other students walking in Cascade Falls Trail, according to Sgt. Todd Hunter with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, as reported in The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

The child has puncture wounds on his arm from the encounter.

The park has been closed for the time being.

Of the estimated 4,000 cougars in Canada, 3,500 live in this province, according to VI-Wilds, a University of Victoria conservation site.

Cougar sightings are relatively common in Squamish.

Though attacks by cougars are rare, they can be fatal, especially if young children are involved, according to WildSafeBC.

"Cougars in conflict are usually young cougars that have not yet learned how to hunt efficiently and are looking for an easy target, or are older cougars that can no longer hunt efficiently in the wilds," reads the WildsafeBC site.

The organization offers the following advice if you encounter a cougar.

Keep calm: Make yourself look as large as possible and back away slowly, keeping the cougar in view, and allowing a clear exit for the cougar. Pick up children and small pets immediately. Never run or turn your back — sudden movements may provoke an attack.

If you notice that a cougar is watching you, maintain eye contact with the cougar and speak to it in a loud firm voice. Reinforce the fact that you are a human and not an easy target. Back out of the area and seek assistance or shelter.

If a cougar shows aggression or begins following you, respond aggressively in all cases as cougars see you as a meal:

* Keep eye contact,

* Yell and make loud noises.

* Pick up nearby sticks, rocks, or whatever you have at hand to quickly to use as a weapon if necessary — crouch down as little as possible when picking things up off the ground.

If the cougar attacks, fight back, focusing on its facial and eye area. Use rocks, sticks, bear spray, or personal belongings as weapons. You are trying to convince the cougar that you are a threat, and are not prey.

 

Call the Conservation Officer Service reporting line (1-877-952-7277) to report the incident.

~With files from The Canadian Press

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