When it comes to the subject of credible cougar sightings, the skeptics are eating their words this week.
It has been years since cougar reports generated interest beyond farmers and hikers, and decades since a picture of one has been printed in the Driftwood.
In that interim, there have been images of “cougar tracks,” a few earnest eyewitness accounts and infrequent but tragic livestock losses — largely blamed on other animals. For many, the absence of photographic evidence seemed to settle the question in today’s “a camera in every pocket” era.
But recent clear pictures (and even video) of a particularly photogenic cougar have thoroughly dispelled any notions of Salt Spring’s big cat as an island myth, or a memory from the distant past.
There’s no guarantee it’s necessarily the same animal, but if so, its tour of Salt Spring Island has been an extensive one — there are images from Armand Way to Booth Bay, Maliview and Fernwood. Wildlife experts are split on what prompted this one to swim over and join us, and why the elusive creature is making itself such an easy target for photographers. But the consensus on what action to take right now is clear: wait and see.
Unlike recently famous cougars that prompted trail shutdowns in Whistler, Salt Spring’s stealthiest tourist hasn’t been seen acting aggressively, at least so far. If a big cat decides to chase, stalk or intentionally get close to people, according to the Conservation Officer Service, a response is warranted. But for the moment, the cougar’s behaviour is textbook cougar — which means we can be ready to act effectively to keep ourselves safe in an encounter.
Obvious measures like keeping an eye on pets and livestock apply; the province’s advice on human-cougar interactions centres on convincing it you are a threat, not prey. That means making yourself look big — holding your bag over your head, for example — keeping eye contact, being loud and, if it comes to it, being ready to fight back, all while removing yourself from the area and leaving an “escape route” for the cougar to do the same.
And, of course, report conflicts or any new behaviour to the provincial RAPP line at 877-952-7277.