Saanich police have issued a warning after two separate sightings of cougars in the Vancouver Island district.
The first call came at roughly 9 p.m. Saturday, from someone who had been walking along a popular hiking trail.
“We got our first call from a resident saying they heard what they thought was a large animal growling on the Lochside trail next to the Lake Hill neighbourhood,” said Saanich police Const. Nawid Akbar. “Members attended and circulated the area, however were unable to locate any signs of the cougar.”
Less than two hours later, another call came in, this one from a B.C. Hydro security guard, who had spotted what he thought might be a cougar.
The sightings come just days after a Lake Cowichan man filmed a cougar battling a wolf in the backcountry -- an extremely rare sight given the normally elusive nature of both animals.
For information on what to do if you encounter a cougar, see the B.C. Ministry of Environment’s cougar interaction factsheet.
