A close encounter of the cougar kind created some memorable vacation moments for a family from Toronto.
Tania Cyalume was with her partner, Katie Berrington and Cyalume’s son, Daniel at Thetis Lake at around 4:45 p.m. on Saturday when the incident occurred.
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| This is the spot where a family from Toronto encountered a cougar cub and its mother on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Tania Cyalume) |
“We were at the beach and hiked a little way up the trail to a rock near the top that was like a lookout,” Cyalume said. “We had finished a snack and were sunbathing and meditating when suddenly a cougar cub came out from around the rock. We gasped and so did the cougar.”
“After the cub took off, Katie said we should leave the area because the mom is probably nearby,” Cyalume said. “We packed up and mom approached from the same place, about three feet away from us.”
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The trio started backing away and heard branches breaking, which led them to believe there may have been more cougars in the area. They encountered some peace officers when they returned to the path.
“They were shocked and said they had never seen a cougar in the park, although sightings aren’t that uncommon,” Cyalume added. “It’s been a great holiday so far, and this has been one of the highlights.
“My son was disappointed, because he had wandered off a little and didn’t get as good a view as we did.”
rick.stiebel @goldstreamgazette.com
