Rise in cougar reports in Departure Bay, but officials say still no public threat
NANAIMO — A family of cougars are again making their presence felt in the middle of a Nanaimo neighbourhood in Departure Bay, but conservation officers say the big cats still don’t pose a public threat.
Sgt. Ben York of the BC Conseration Officer Service says there were three or four reports on the night of Dec. 20 of cougars in the Woodstream Park area off Departure Bay Road.
“People were hearing what they believed to be cougar noises in the area,” said York.
One of the reports made at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday was categorized by the Wildlife Alert Reporting Program, (W.A.R.P) overseen by conservation officers, as an aggressive cougar. That cat was heard growling in the wooded area off Departure Bay Road down the hill from Newton Street, according to York.