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February 10, 2016 - 10:30 AM
KAMLOOPS - Another cougar sighting has been confirmed in Kamloops, but a conservation officer notes the behaviour was normal for the animal.
Officers responded to a cougar sighting report near Thompson Drive in Valleyview yesterday, Feb. 9, after a resident’s dogs chased the large cat up a tree, Conservation Officer Rob Armstrong says.
“We did go out and have a look for that cat,” Armstrong says. “It wasn’t in conflict per se; it was just in somebody’s backyard. It seems to have left the area near the river."
Armstrong says it’s common for the big cats and other predators to traverse along the river in search of food and says sightings are not unusual.
“Deer are down at lower elevations which brings the cougars closer to us. They’re following their prey species,” he says.
While a sighting can raise concerns, Armstrong says the animal poses little risk to the public. There is a slightly elevated risk for pets left outdoors, he says.
Late last month a young cougar was killed near Kamloops after it tried to break into a building.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016