Mother Nature has spent this week reminding Chilliwack that wildlife is out there, even if you can’t always see them.
On the heels of a cougar attack in Harrison Mills Tuesday morning, with two male cats causing serious injuries to a woman, two juvenile cougars were spotted in the Promontory area of Chilliwack Tuesday night.
They were picked up on a security camera as they hung out in the driveway of a home on Markel Drive, which backs onto a heavily forested area. They don’t appear to have caused any trouble before disappearing back into the woods, but cougars can be a big problem for people and pets.
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When one of them was spotted on the Vedder Rotary Trail near the RCMP Pacific Region Training Centre in early April, conservation officers posted a ‘cougar alert’ sign telling people what to do if they come across one.
- Detour around any cougar, giving it space, and do not run. Maintain eye contact. Never turn your back. Speak in a confident voice and slowly back out of the area. Sudden movements may provoke an attack.
- Utilize natural barriers and keep trees or other obstacles between you and the cougar.
- Make noise to avoid surprise encounters.
- If a cougar approaches, stand your ground and appear large. Hold your coat open, raise your arms and do not bend over or crouch down.
- If a cougar attacks, don’t curl up in a ball. Fight back.
Anyone who spots the cougar in the area is asked to call the 24-hour RAPP line (Report All Poachers and Polluters) at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).