As Bowen Island residents continue to grapple with a cougar settling into their neighbourhood, one North Vancouver man is recovering from a surprise encounter with a friendly local feline. Big cat fever, it seems, is in the air.
Paul Wiens had only lived as a Grousewoods local mere days before he was welcomed to the area by an unexpected neighbour: A bobcat, exploring the BCMC trailhead.
Wiens had been cutting through the Grouse Mountain trail on Wednesday (July 24) for a morning Starbucks coffee when the “very curious” feline popped out from the growth, he said.
“I was scared at first, but then I felt very at ease with it. With the way it was looking at me, I definitely didn’t feel any threat,” he said. “I felt a real connection with him, it was a really special experience.”
Wiens, a photographer who moved to the area from East Vancouver, managed to snap a couple of National Geographic-worthy shots and video with his iPhone.
In one video, a tawny coat sits stark against the forest as the cat peers at Wiens from between the trees of the trailhead. In another, it sits directly behind an abandoned excavator, its face peering out from just below the machine’s Bobcat logo.
It was this hint given by his feline friend that enlightened Wiens to what he was encountering – until then he hadn’t known what feline it was, “other than it must have been part of the big cat family,” and certainly wasn’t aware that bobcats could be spotted so close to home.
“I would have never guessed that our paths would cross in Vancouver, especially in an area like that," he said, adding how one of the reasons he moved to North Vancouver was to experience the local nature and wildlife.
“You always hope to see animals like that in their natural habitat as opposed to a zoo, so it was really wonderful to see it so free and happy and about in my community.”
Gabriela De Romeri from Wildsafe BC said, while she is unaware of any previous sightings on or near the BCMC trail, bobcats are known to be spotted around North Vancouver.
Because of their smaller size – the felines are roughly twice the size of domestic cats – they are “generally not a big concern,” she said, but, as with all wildlife, they can be dangerous if startled or put in danger.
“If that happens you can make noise, make yourself look large, back away from the area and give the animal space so that it feels less threatened by you,” she said. “If it continues to follow you, then we recommend you throw rocks towards the animal and try to deter it.”
Meanwhile on Bowen Island, residents are still debating the safety concerns of having a cougar taking up residence in their hometown. Residents have reported sightings for more than a week, with the feline captured on local wildlife cameras and spotted peering in windows and roaming the streets.
“People on the island are worried, and that’s really understandable given that predators are fairly rare on the island,” said Carla Skuce, manager of environment & parks planning with the Bowen Island Municipality.
Skuce said the last time she can recall a cougar visiting Bowen Island was more than 20 years ago, and the municipality is currently in talks with the RCMP and conservation officers to determine the best course of action.
Despite chatter among locals that the cougar will be killed or transported, the cougar “looks healthy, is exhibiting normal behaviour,” and has not shown aggression towards humans, and so there are no such plans as of yet, she assured.
With island residents not being used to the same risks as those on the mainland, Skuce is encouraging locals to brush up on cougar protocol and general wildlife awareness.
“People should be taking those steps to avoid attracting prey animals to their property, like securing their garbage and keeping pet food indoors. Pets and children would be best kept inside from before dusk until after dawn, and small children should be supervised when outside,” she said.
While cougars may be rare on Bowen, as with bears, wolves and coyotes, the big cats still occasionally visit by swimming to the island or travelling across via floating debris. De Romeri said the cougar might have been lured to the Bowen by its abundant deer population, or with hopes of finding a mate. Often, in their own time, they will swim back to the mainland, she said.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
