Cougars have kept local conservation officers busy, but not more than normal according to Brent Smith of the Vernon office.
He says cougar complaints increased with the first big snowfall in valley bottoms in December.
“We had very few cat complaints in many years and all of a sudden we’re getting complaints,” he says, noting the lack of complaints was actually more unusual.
He says four dogs in the Grandview Bench area were recently injured, two more were killed outright and one had to be euthanized because of its injuries.
“I know those numbers are relatively accurate,” he says. “There was one human injury when a man broke up a fight between his dog and a cougar in early January but he just got a couple of scratches.”
Smith says on Feb. 9, a dog was stolen from a porch near the highway at Grindrod and a 100-pound tom cougar was spotted the next morning and shot.
The following day, the same hunter who spotted the male cougar the day before, shot and killed another 100-lb male who chased a dog up a tree.
No other complaints had been reported by Feb. 15 and Smith stresses the cougars were acting in a normal fashion and were in no way acting aggressively toward humans.
“Cougars killing dogs is natural because they kill and eat coyotes all the time,” he says. “But in our determination, we have had a series of cougars whose actions were not acceptable within health and safety guidelines. When you’re killing horses, something has to be done to mitigate livestock losses.”
Smith says there was one livestock kill in Falkland, one in Vernon, two in Grindrod and one each in Ashton Creek and Armstrong.
“They were acting normally but unacceptably because they were attacking livestock,” he reemphasized. “As a result, all six cats are dead.”
The chances of human-cougar encounters are low and definitely no higher than normal this year, says Smith, who advises people to visit www.env.gov.bc.ca and check out the information on cougars.
To avoid conflict with cougars, the website advises:
• Keep pets leashed or leave them at home.
• Always keep children in sight. Cougars can be attracted to children due to their small size and the noise they create.
• If going hiking, travel in a group – cougars are less likely to attack groups of people.
The following are guidelines in the event that you do encounter a cougar:
• Stay calm and keep the cougar in view. Pick up children immediately – children frighten easily and the noise and movements they make could provoke an attack. Back away slowly, ensuring that the animal has a clear avenue of escape. Make yourself look as large as possible. Keep the cougar in front of you at all times.
• Never run or turn your back on a cougar. Sudden movement may provoke an attack.
• If a cougar shows interest or follows you, respond aggressively, maintain eye contact with the cougar, show your teeth and make loud noise. Arm yourself with rocks or sticks as weapons. Crouch down as little as possible when bending down to pick up things off of the ground.
• If a cougar attacks, fight back. Convince the cougar you are a threat and not prey. Focus your attack on the cougar’s face and eyes.