A cougar on Kamloops resident Loren Hebden Phillips' property on Nov. 12, 2022.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Loren Hebden Phillips
November 15, 2022 - 3:30 PM
A Kamloops resident is breathing a sigh of relief after two cougars were killed in her neighbourhood by the Conservation Officer Service.
Loren Hebden Phillips lives in the Westsyde neighbourhood, near the Lac Du Bois grasslands, where the cougars terrorized the neighbourhood by hunting pets and livestock like chickens and ducks over the past month.
A local conservation officer took away the bait in the area, believing there was only two cougars in the area, according to Phillips.
"There was never set-in-stone confirmation there was three," she said. A third cougar was rumoured among the neighbourhood, but couldn't be confirmed since they were never seen in the same place.
"We know there was two because both were shot," she said.
READ MORE: 2 cougars euthanized, 1 still at large in Kamloops area after eating pets
iNFOnews.ca reached out to the Conservation Officer Service, but it didn't get a response in time for publication.
A dog, a bunny, chickens and ducks fell victim to the big cats in the last month, Hebden said. While she and her neighbours previously believed there were three cougars, a local conservation officer eased their concerns and asserted there were only ever two.
Phillips said she was told by a conservation officer that a sign would be put up at the nearby Deep Lake Hike trailhead warning hikers to stay out of the area for now.
Cougars account for approximately 2,500 calls to the Conservation Officer Service reporting line every year, however many reported cougar sightings turn out to be animals other than cougars, according to WildSafeBC.
Cougar attacks are very rare, but if residents encounter a cougar, they should keep calm and never run, according to WildSafe.
To report cougars in conflict, sightings in urban areas, or a cougar showing unusual or aggressive behaviour, call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
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