A cougar can be seen in a screen shot from security camera footage recorded in Peachland, Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Matthew Lobb
May 17, 2022 - 11:00 AM
A Peachland resident said she banged on her windows and doors for a good 20 seconds before a curious cougar left her property this past weekend.
The big cat was stalking her pet cat from room to room through the windows at around 3 p.m. Saturday, May 14.
Brittany Banks lives off Meldrum Place and posted about the experience on social media in an effort to warn others in the area to be on the lookout and keep pets and kids safe. She phoned the B.C. Conservation Officer Service for help after the cougar returned for a second visit Monday night.
READ MORE: Penticton neighbours' petty dispute over locked gate ends up in court
“My cat was snarling through the window, then followed me into my son’s room with her hackles up,” Banks said. “I went back to my room and saw a shadow outside, flicked on the light and the cougar was standing up outside my son’s sliding door window staring in at us.”
Banks said the cougar is over 6' tall standing up with a tail longer than her arm. When she screamed at it and pounded on the window it didn’t seem concerned, but left.
Banks has lived in the same area for seven years and has not spotted a cougar before.
“Conservation said it is not normal for cougars to be this low down the valley,” she said. “They are coming to inspect the area tomorrow.”
In the meantime, Banks is keeping her son, her cat and herself safely locked indoors.
“My cat is an outdoor cat so I picked up some litter today, she will have to stay inside for now,” she said. “I’ll leave the porch light on in hopes it deters it.”
READ MORE: Trespassers release animals at Kamloops petting zoo
Another resident, Matthew Lobb, lives nearby on Somerset Avenue.
His security cameras picked up footage of a cougar prowling around his house twice in the past two weeks. The last capture of the cat happened around 11 p.m. on May 14.
“I checked the video recordings every morning and I was surprised to see the cougar,” he said. “I normally just get domestic cats, racoons, deer and sometimes coyotes.”
To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2022