A couple of cool cats that were spotted on the SkyTrain guideway at Port Moody's Inlet Station last Friday were likely looking for their morning meal, says a conservation officer.
Robin Sano said it's not unusual for cougars to hunt in the early morning hours and the normally reclusive animals picked a time before the arrival of first train and when the station was empty to do their patrol.
"They're looking for rabbits, raccoons, mice, rats — large rodents that might hang around the area," Sano said, speculating that the duo were likely siblings that were searching out new hunting areas as they walked through greenbelts next to the Evergreen Extension.
TransLink staff spotted the pair on security footage and conducted a sweep of tracks before the first train at 5 a.m., a procedure that is conducted daily to make sure everything is in order before the starting the service, said spokesperson Jill Drews.
No sign of the pair was found and it's not known how the animals got onto the tracks. However to make sure it doesn't happen again, fencing is being inspected to make sure there are no holes.
This is the season when wildlife is frequenting areas next to greenbelts. Sano advised people to keep their garbage secured so as not to attract the animals.
"Do not attract of feed wildlife," Sano said, "Remove bird feeders or any natural prey."
As for small pets, they shouldn't be allowed into yards unsupervised, he said.
The high snowpack is likely pushing cougars into lower elevations in search of deer while bears are also looking for high-calorie food to supplement their natural diets of skunk cabbage and grubs, Sano said.
