A jump in the number of cougar sightings in the Tri-Cities has conservation officers reminding people to secure their garbage and animal attractants.
Residents who live near forests and green belts, like Coquitlam's Burke Mountain and Partington Creek, should be particularly careful, said Conservation Officer Service Sgt. Todd Hunter.
"The biggest thing is prevention," he said. "You will have the whole food chain there if you are leaving food waste or anything with any caloric value."
Garbage attracts smaller rodents, which tends to bring larger animals that rely on the smaller ones for food, he added.
So far this year, 63 cougar sightings have been reported to the Wildlife Alert Reporting Program, up significantly from this time last year when 33 cases were reported.
However, just because there are more sightings does not necessarily mean there is an increased risk to public safety, Hunter said. Because many residents now have surveillance cameras at their door overlooking their yard, people are becoming more aware of animal activity on their property, he added.
"At this point, they are just generally sightings," he said. "We will react and only remove cougars from the population if they become a public safety threat."
Cougars generally come out at night and will generally mind their own business when searching for food, he said. However, behaviours like stalking and chasing people should be reported to the conservation officer service, Hunter added.
If someone does come into contact with a cougar, they should display dominance and back up slowly away from the animal, he said. People should not panic when they see a cougar and Hunter stressed that running away is the worst thing a person can do.
"They react to that," he said. "Their natural instinct is to chase a fleeing animal. Make yourself large. Display dominance and back up slowly."
@gmckennaTC
