Vancouver Island man injured protecting dog from cougar
A Nanaimo man who was working in the North Vancouver Island community of Woss sustained minor injuries following an encounter with a cougar in the community Thursday evening.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says the man was walking his dogs off-leash along a rural road when a cougar attacked one of the dogs.
"Gentleman was walking his two dogs and a cougar came out of the bush and went towards the gentleman’s dog," said conservation officer Christopher Hamlyn.
"The gentleman got between the dog and the cougar and took a swing at the cougar and the cougar swung back, and the gentleman suffered a minor scratch on his hand," he said.
Officers arrived in Woss an hour after the attack and continued their search for the cougar on Friday using tracking hounds.
"We searched for him this morning with some hounds and we’re going to be in the area all day today (Friday) and we’ll probably have the hounds out a couple more times today," said Hamlyn.
Officers believe the cougar could well be the same animal that was involved in another altercation earlier in the week.
"Another dog was attacked a little worse, so it’s not an isolated incident, it seems like this cougar is hanging around town," Hamlyn said.
The conservation officer says bystanders made contact with the cougar in that earlier encounter using some sort of pipe. Hounds were bought in after that event but were unable to track the cat at the time.
"We think it’s the same cat, we’re not 100 per cent sure," he said. "The guy’s dog yesterday was very lucky that (the owner) was there otherwise I don’t think the dog would be with us anymore, judging by what the victim told me."
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is reminding the public to keep their children and pets close and on a leash. Any cougar sightings should be reported to the Report all Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline which is 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Six Canadian children repatriated from detention in Syria, Global Affairs Canada says
The Global Affairs Department says six Canadian children have been repatriated from detention in northeastern Syria.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday in the hush money trial of former U.S. president Donald Trump, prepared to testify about a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.