There was another cougar sighting in Victoria on Friday afternoon.
Oak Bay police and conservation officers were called to an area near Saint Patrick Street and Central Avenue to search for the animal. While crews looked for several hours, they were unable to find the big cat.
Police said they responded to the call after a local resident spotted the cougar and took a picture of it. Another woman living nearby said she may have seen the animal chasing a deer while she was doing the dishes.
This will be the third time a cougar has been spotted in the Victoria area since the beginning of October.
On Oct. 5, a cougar was tranquilized and removed from downtown Victoria after several sightings near the B.C. Legislature. Conservation Officer Peter Pauwels said the cougar was running around in peoples’ backyards and they eventually caught it when it was hiding in a bush in a parking lot.
The cat was eventually released back into the wild.
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And within a 24 hour span on Tuesday there were three reported sightings of a cougar. That cougar was not found by conservation officers.
Wildlife experts have spoken out and explained why they think there’s been a spike in encounters. Officials say they’re coming in search of food.
Oak Bay, in particular, seems to have enough food for the cougars. A deer cull initiated last February resulted in only 11 being removed from the area.
“Cougars are most active between dusk and dawn,” said conservation officer Scott Norris. “However, when you get a cougar in an area like this they may become desperate, they want to get away from the area. They’re secretive animals, they want to get away from people so you never know when one is going to pop out and make a run for it to try and find some more cover.”
“The cougars are just doing what normal cougars do, they’re just looking for more territory.”
~ with files from Amy Judd
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