Conservation officers in Maple Ridge, B.C., are on the hunt for a cougar that's been frightening pet owners and parents in the area.
Cindy Hoslin had a close encounter with the big cat Tuesday morning. She went into her yard around 9:30 a.m. to find two pet goats killed in their pen.
"The cougar stuck his head out of the barn, and I could see he had blood on his mouth, and I just backed up. I grabbed my dogs and a duck, and I locked them all up in the house," Hoslin said.
The attack happened just as children were arriving at a daycare directly beside the pen where the goats were killed.
Hoslin said she was worried about having the cougar so close to children, and called conservation officers immediately.
"They're going to have to get it. It's too bad -- he's a beauty.
It was a nerve-wracking time for many parents, too.
"Having a cougar in the neighbourhood, right close to home, is pretty scary for me. I don't think I want to stay outside now," Stephanie Murray said.
When she picked up her child at the end of the day, Murray said she was told the children hadn't been allowed outside because of the cougar.
Conservation officers hunted the cat for a few hours on Tuesday, but didn't turn up anything. They expected to return to the area in the evening to continue.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Mike Killeen
