'It was just planted on the log': Cougar encounter caught on camera in Campbell River, B.C.
A Vancouver Island man captured video of a rare cougar encounter near Campbell River, B.C., on Tuesday.
Mike Anderson, 38, was walking his dog in the Beaver Lodge Lands, a sprawling network of forested trails southwest of the city, around 6:30 a.m.
Anderson said he walks Sage, his German shorthaired pointer, through the trails twice a day. But Tuesday was the first time he's seen a big cat in that area.
"It was just planted on the log, trying to blend in," Anderson told CTV News. "I've walked past that log numerous times and it just caught my eye that something was different."
In the short video of the encounter captured on Anderson's cellphone, the cougar is perched on the log, staring directly at the man and his dog, seemingly ready to pounce.
"I just backed away," Anderson said. "It just stayed on the log until I couldn’t see it anymore."
Anderson, a hobbyist wildlife photographer, said Sage didn't even seem to notice the cat. "She just kind of looked at me funny because I was talking in loud voice," he said.
The Campbell River man says he won't be caught without a proper camera in the area again.
"That's my one regret," he said of the encounter. "It was a cool experience and I'm glad it happened. They're in there all the time it's just a matter of when we see them or not."
While Vancouver Island is home to one of the largest cougar populations in the world, attacks on people are extremely rare.
The province urges anyone who encounters a cougar to make oneself as large as possible and back away slowly, keeping the cougar in front of you and ensuring the animal has a clear avenue of escape.
Turning one's back on a cougar and running away may provoke an attack, according to the B.C. government's guidelines for avoiding a cougar attack.
"If a cougar shows interest or follows you, respond aggressively, maintain eye contact with the cougar, show your teeth and make loud noise," the province says. "If a cougar attacks, fight back, convince the cougar you are a threat and not prey."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Canadian government proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.