‘Wile E. Coyote… having a bad day’: Camera catches B.C. house cat making short work of predator

In the animal world, the predator-prey relationship is usually clearly defined.

So North Vancouver’s Norman Lee was surprised this week when he saw it turned topsy-turvy in his own back yard, in an wildlife encounter partially captured on camera.

Lee was cleaning his barbecue behind his Lynn Valley home, which backs onto a stretch of green belt, when it happened.

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“I saw what looked like a dog come flying across the green belt and this little orange thing go chasing after it, so the first thing that goes into my mind is that it’s a cougar chasing a dog,” he said.

“Then they stop, just at the back and I go, ‘No, that’s not a cougar. That’s definitely not a dog.'”

What Lee actually saw was a coyote being pursued by a neighbour’s orange tabby cat.

“They were basically staring each other down,” he said.

“Definitely the cat was the aggressor here, as he chased the coyote around.”

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What ensued was a tense standoff, with the coyote cut off from a retreat into the brush and the cat giving it the “evil eye,” Lee explained.

“I was totally shocked. It was to a point where it was comical. You could clearly see the collar on the cat, like, it’s a house cat,” he said.

“The first thing that comes to mind is Wile E. Coyote from the Road Runner having another bad day.”

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Lee grabbed his camera and was able to catch a slice of the staredown before the coyote was able to turn tail and escape.

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He said the tabby is one of several outdoor cats in the neighbourhood, who have clearly learned to stand up for themselves — no surprise, as he said it is not uncommon for bears to wander through his own property.

As unusual as this showdown was, Lee — who makes a hobby of wildlife photography — said he took it in stride.

“It’s never different for me to come across an animal encounter,” he said.

“It’s always amazing.”