A Facebook post on May 27, alerted residents that a cougar was spotted near the compound by the band office of the Lake Babine Nation reserve.
The post warned residents to be aware and informed the location of the sighting, with no further information. When asked about this sighting to conservation officer Jeff Palm, he said that the Burns Lake Conservation Officer Service had received no such reports of cougar sightings in the last four months.
Palm however informed that the cougars, commonly referred as mountain lions, are nocturnal and most common where there are plenty of deer. He also pointed out that often people get confused between cougars and lynx, which are most common to the Lakes District.
RELATED: Lynx spotted near East Ootsa
”A key indicator in identifying a cougar is the size of its tail. A cougar’s tail is almost as long as the rest of the cat’s body. A lynx on the other hand has a small almost unnoticeable tail,” said Palm.
In the past couple of years, people on Vancouver Island have seen cougars or have been attacked by them. Last year, two cougars were shot after they attacked and mauled a four-year-old boy, who survived the attack. However, there haven’t been any reports of such attacks in the Lakes District area.
Palm said that the public can report sightings to the conservation office by using the 24-hour Report all Poachers and Polluters number 1-877-952-7277.
“Reporting a sighting sometimes gives the public peace of mind and can help our officers to stay in the loop with what’s happening in the area.”
Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
Like us onFacebook and follows us on Twitter.
Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation here.