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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.