It’s not uncommon to encounter wildlife in rural parts of Vancouver Island, but a Courtenay man says he feels fortunate after a run-in with not just one, but three cougars.
Cam Jones glanced out the living room window of his Marsden Road home Wednesday morning to witness the unforgettable moment.
“I was sitting here, playing on my digital device and I happened to look up and see the two [cougars] come across the lawn. The third one followed a couple seconds behind,” said Jones, who works for a road maintenance company.
He said the trio appeared to be a mother, father and a smaller juvenile cat, and the reason for the visit was quickly revealed.
“I watched them as they headed toward the neighbours and then I looked up as I saw a deer running across my yard with the cougar in pursuit,” he said. “About a minute later, you see the cougar come back, a little out of breath. He obviously didn’t get his meal, wasn’t fast enough.”
Then, with the hunt unsuccessful, one of the cougars strolled right up to Jones’ front step and onto his porch, just inches away from his front window.
While Jones has seen all kind of wildlife at the property, he had never seen a cougar in daylight, let alone three, and quickly grabbed his camera.
“I feel very privileged to be so close to something like that, something that you rarely see, so I thought I would share it with everybody,” he said.
When he shared the incredible photos on Facebook, he said many friends and family members had the same reply: “Hope you got the dog inside.”
Fortunately, his dog was sleeping at the time.
“I was glad she was inside, or she would’ve been an easy snack,” he said.
The BC Conservation Officer Service has seen an island-wide increase in cougar interactions this year.
The agency asks anyone who has a cougar sighting or interaction to report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
