A bear rummaging through garbage in Vernon has been destroyed and now a cougar has been caught on film in Coldstream.
A Vernon family was startled by the large wild cat during a walk through Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park Sunday, June 3.
Avril Small had stopped at a trail junction to take a picture of her two kids when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye in a tree almost directly above them.
“My heart started beating really fast,” said Small, who caught a photo of the cougar with her 13-year-old daughter’s camera.
“I’m originally from England and have never seen anything like that so I was pretty freaked out by it.”
She immediately gathered her children without taking her eye off the cat and slowly backed away.
Even though the cat never moved, she was eager to get away.
“I just hot footed out of the park as fast as I could,” said Small, who figures they woke the cougar from a cat nap.
“We do get reports of sightings usually this time of year when there’s lots of deer,” said Kevin Wilson, BC Parks area supervisor for the North Okanagan. “Whenever there’s an abundance of food, which is deer, there are cougars.”
While caution should always be exercised in the wildlife-packed park, Wilson says there has never been a problem with cougars.
“The chance of an actual cougar attack is slim. The last one, outside of Vancouver Island, was probably 20 years ago, near Princeton,” said Wilson of the animals that tend to be reclusive.
The fact that a local family actually saw a cougar is quite rare, said Wilson.
“They’re tough to see.
“In my time, I’ve only seen one.”
The family’s reaction to the cougar is exactly the right approach for those that are lucky, or unlucky, enough to spot a cougar.
“You’re supposed to stand tall, if you have children with you hold them and make yourself look as big as possible,” said Wilson. “Back away slowly and put your hands on your head.”
There was also a report of a dog getting bit by a rattlesnake in the park over the weekend – the dog survived the bite.
Therefore those using the park, particularly the back trails, are urged to keep their animals on a leash.
“Kal Park is, for the most part, a wilderness park, there’s all sorts of animals there,” said Wilson.
Bear sightings throughout the North Okanagan are also on the rise.
Conservation officers had to destroy a young bear in Vernon Saturday, just above the courthouse.
But unless they are posing a threat, generally the animals are left alone, according to conservation officers, who have been inundated with calls.
“We’re getting three, four, five, six a day,” said Sgt. Josh Lockwood. “We can’t keep up.
“As soon as the rain quit and the sun came out, so did everything else, including wildlife.”
Coldstream and the BX are reporting the most sightings, with concern for safety of children around schools.
“We’ve been down to Kidston and Coldstream the last three days in a row,” Lockwood said Wednesday.
“If you live near a school you’re putting the kids at risk if you leave your garbage out.”
