The Conservation Officer Service urges North Vancouver residents to be vigilant and report wildlife sightings to the RAPP line after four cougars – believed to be a mother and her three cubs – were seen ambling through the Deep Cove neighbourhood. The RAPP line number is 1-877-952-7277.
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Although a video of the cougars has been widely shared on social media, the sighting was not reported to the RAPP line, Conservation Officer Sasha Zukewich said. “I haven’t seen any reports, but it’s nothing unusual, and even in urban areas like North Vancouver, it’s not abnormal to have a cougar come through the night at heavily green space like Cates Park,” he said.
He said ‘alarm bells’ for COS would start ringing if people started seeing cougars in the day or if they were following people or dogs and small pets. “We get the occasional report of a cougar who maybe gets a hold of an outdoor cat at night, but that is a natural behaviour for a cougar. But when they start coming near your house or take a small dog in the middle of the day, we are obviously getting concerned for public safety.”
Zukewich said he encourages North Shore residents to call the RAPP line, which can give officials a better sense of the wildlife situation in the community. “Cougars passing through at nighttime tells me these animals are trying to avoid interacting with people. But people should call and make that report so we can make better decisions around managing the concerns of wildlife and public safety.”
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Meanwhile, North Shore Black Bear Society has advised people to take precautions to avoid attracting wildlife to their neighbourhoods. Residents are advised to keep their cats indoors and dogs on a leash, particularly at night, and ensure that their garbage, organic waste, and bird feeders are secured to avoid attracting rodents that could attract coyotes and cougars.
Wildlife walking through neighborhoods shouldn’t require a call to Conservation Officers, especially on the North Shore which is a mountainous region and wildlife such as bears, cougars and coyote live here permanently. A cougar going after a small dog should be considered natural behavior as going after a small cat is considered a natural behavior. Small dogs look like prey to wild predators and likely make an easy meal. Keep pets on leash to avoid predator interactions. What should be reported is people feeding wildlife because this is what brings them closer to neighborhoods and encourages them to not fear people. We have to remember that we live in wildlife territory and when you buy or rent a home on a mountain slope or near bodies of water, you’re going to interact with wildlife. We need to coexist and respect these animals instead of fearing them and reporting them to Conservation, which unfortunately often uses lethal force as a response to deal with them.
yea cougar was in the neighbours backyard for a few days. got our cat in front of our door at 8pm while kids were outside 5 minutes prior. animal control said they cant do anything. just be safe out there please. pets inside before sunfall, keep kids close. if you have bushes around your house, keep a close eye. I feel they’re getting used to humans and the communities…