A Burke Mountain neighbourhood is sleeping easier this week after two cougars that were stalking pets and approached a Coquitlam family were destroyed by conservation officers Friday night.
Spokesperson Jack Trudgian said the officers were called to the area behind Sadie Crescent, off Coast Meridian Road, after receiving reports that two small children were approached by a big cat and a pet feline was also killed.
"They weren't afraid of us when we arrived," said Jack Trudgian, acting sergeant with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
The juvenile cougars were likely brothers and had been left to fend for themselves, Trudgian said. Having killed one pet cat, they were likely to kill another, and by hanging around the Burke Mountain neighbourhood could have gotten into conflicts with people living in the area.
The cougars weighed about 50 pounds and were healthy and there was no sign of the mother.
"They were learning to fend for themselves and that's why they got into trouble," Trudgian said, noting that residents appeared to understand why the animals had to be killed.
"They live in an area where there's lots of wildlife and they always have to be aware. I think it's an eye opener for them," he said.
The cougar deaths come as at the height of bear season and Trudgian admitted officers are "very busy" with bear complaints in the area. "This warm weather has killed a lot of the berries in the mountains; we want people to be aware of their attractants."
One bear was recently destroyed in Coquitlam after it walked into a kitchen through an open door and rummaged through a fridge.
