Conservation officers respond to several cougar sightings along north Nanaimo waterfront

“He was like ‘oh my, oh my god,’ and I’m like ‘what?’ and he didn’t answer me, and I said ‘did we lose half of our bank?’ and he said ‘no, we’ve got a cougar with a kill in the backyard,’. It was a little shocking.”

The Cougar closely watching the deer carcass. (Cheryl Thompson)

A conservation officer and a pair of Nanaimo RCMP officers were dispatched to the scene.

The conservation officer decided removing the deer carcass and scaring the cougar back into the woods was the right way to go.

He used chalk ball rounds in a pellet gun to spook the cougar into the dense brush below.

“The conservation officer said if he leaves him to feast they get comfortable and they will come back to do the same over and over again,” Thompson said.

Conservation officer Chris Miller removing the deer carcass. (Cheryl Thompson)

It appears the cougar was in the yard for several hours.

A neighbour reported hearing the deer being mauled on Sunday at about 1 a.m.

Thompson said it was an alarming incident, particularly since they have a dog and grandchildren who enjoy playing in the backyard.

“We went out and bought an air horn. We’re just going to be a little more aware when we let the dog out, especially at night we’ll be out there with him, and I’ll have full eyes on all four of my grandchildren when they’re playing back there.”

Thompson said the cougar was digging at their lawn in an effort to bury its kill.

Their fence was also damaged.

Thompson hopes people in the area take extra precautions, pointing to the nearby off-leash area at Invermere Beach which could be an enticing place for a cougar.

Conservation officer Chris Miller responded to the Thompson’s backyard, as well as a similar call-out late on Sunday, June 11 to a backyard three doors down on Icarus Dr.

Miller said the same cougar was there, again not displaying concerning aggression towards people or pets.

It was a call Miller was expecting since the cougar successfully hunted a deer nearby.

“It was just laying there having a rest. Again I hazed it away to reinstate that it shouldn’t get comfortable in a residential backyard,” Miller told NanaimoNewsNOW.

A third cougar sighting was made a few hundred meters to the north near the top of the Blueback Beach access stairs on Monday, June 12 at around 6 a.m.

Miller said a man walking his leashed dog down the stairs came across a cougar sprawled out in a grassy area beside the stairs.

“It didn’t react when the person ran away with its dog. Just sort of a chance encounter in the green space. No concerning behaviour so far and we would like it to stay that way.”

While cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare, the best way to deal with an encounter is to keep calm, make yourself as big as possible, be loud, and slowly back away.

Based on the descriptions provided, Miller believes the Monday morning sighting was the same cougar as the other two incidents.

Miller placed warning signage at the top of the Blueback Beach stairs.

“This is a cougar displaying natural cougar behaviour in cougar habitat. That green space connects the Neck Point, Hammond Bay area to Lantzville. It is a known travel corridor for cougars.”

Wildlife sightings in which public safety could be at risk should be called into the provincial RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.

Newly installed warning signage at the entrance to the Blueback Beach access stairs. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes

by Ian Holmes

Conservation officers respond to several cougar sightings along north Nanaimo waterfront

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