Cougars

[LovelyLadyLux]

We've had cougar sightings around here on my street all last fall. The high concern is/was that there is a school adjacent to the forest and the kids play right up to the edge. Conservation has been called but there has been no news if they actually ever found the cougar(s) or not.

Now there is news that cougars have taken to attacking & killing pets in Port Hardy (north end of the Island). They've been video'd approaching homes as they're seeing pets inside. In, at least, one case the cougar was able to gain entry into the home via the pet door.

Regularly cats disappear from this street and owners often go door to door asking if their pet has been seen but usually once a cat disappears it never reappears.

They're beautiful cats and I guess we're encroaching onto their territory but what is the answer?

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/coug ... -1.3744811

https://www.cheknews.ca/dog-killed-by-c ... dy-402716/

[Horus]

Seems similar to other creatures becoming habituated and then they clash with humans. It happens with Polar Bears and other Bears that scavenge off our leftovers, not unlike Grandad’s Foxes, the difference being that his Foxes present no real danger to humans although it could make them bolder. Nowadays it is not unusual to see urban foxes during daylight in many large cities so I suppose it is a similar thing with your Cougar population coming into closer contact with humans and their pets which may be seen as a food source (which I doubt) but rather that the pets especially dogs will have harassed the Cougar and it defended itself. There is always the chance of one becoming a bit of a rogue with familiarity, it happens with many species, killer man eating Lions in Africa are an example and in those cases shooting is the only answer. Sometimes as in the case of Polar bears trapping and removal to more remote areas often works.

[Grandad]

Always sad when these lovely creatures have to be put down as a last resort.
You are right about the foxes H. A while ago my neighbour had left the back door open and she went in to find a fox reclining on the hearth rug. It simply wandered back outside.

[Horus]

Now that would have made a good photo

[Grandad]

Now that would have made a good photo

They haven't even got a mobile phone so don't expect them to have a camera. And they are 10 years younger than us.

[LovelyLadyLux]

The next photo from Grandad - One of his foxes reclining on his living room sofa!