A local bus driver spotted a cougar near a school bus stop on Lombardy Avenue last week causing a resident to warn others of the possible danger.
Resident Diane Bolton took to social media after her husband, also a bus driver, informed her a cougar was seen crossing the street near the stop by one of his fellow drivers.
“My husband came home and told me,” said Bolton. “I posted it because there is a bus stop with young kids right on the sidewalk.”
Bolton husband’s sighting is one of many reported since December, the most recent in close conjunction with a likely cougar attack at Cranberry Farm last weekend.
“I came home at around 10 pm and found a goat with its throat slashed in,” said Cranberry farm owner Carol Battaglio. “We did not see what animal did it, but after I left whatever predator it was came back and fed on the animal.”
Battaglio’s farm is located adjacent to Powell River Fire Rescue Training Centre on Cranberry Street, in close vicinity to where Bolton reported the cougar sighting.
Battaglio said she loses about one animal per year to animal attacks. She lost a goat to a bear this summer, in addition to this most recent loss, which is likely the work of a cougar, she said.
Battaglio said she locks her animals in a shed each night for safety, but her goats were reluctant to be tucked in that fateful night.
“That evening they just wouldn’t go into the shed,” said Battaglio, “so when I came back later I found the dead goat.”
The cougar attack and sightings follow a busy summer for cougars, with BC Conservation Officer Service reporting twice the usual number of incidents.
Local conservation officer Andrew Anaka confirmed the dead goat at the farm was likely the result of the cougar attack.
“The animals on the farm are a huge attractant for predators,” he said. Anaka said conservation officers have attended numerous complaints regarding cougars and bears at the farm over the years.
Highlighting livestock, deer, raccoons, pets and the feral-rabbit population at Powell River Regional Cemetery as what could be attracting cougars to the area, Anaka said the public should be aware of possible danger in the area and stay vigilant.
“It is not unusual for cougars to be in and around our community,” he said. “The public should be prepared for a chance wildlife encounter at any time of year, at any location in or near our community.”
Despite several cougar sightings, other residents say that while evidence of cougars is often seen, the animals seldom are.
Resident Tiffany Leggeat said she hasn’t seen a cougar in all her years living in the area. Despite not spotting a cougar herself, Leggeat said scratch marks seen on cedar trees below her house on Mitchell Street are a good indicator the big cats are out there.
“There have always been cougars in the area,” said Leggeat. “Fortunately, our cats are still fine.”
To report cougar sightings call 1.877.952.7277.
