Penticton cougar sighting; likely big cat hunting deer
PENTICTON – The Penticton Conservation office reports two calls to their office about a cougar sighting in Penticton earlier this week.
The calls related to a sighting of a big cat in the area of Ross and Duncan Avenues at about 2:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4, reports B.C. Conservation Service Inspector Barb Leslie.
“It was not confirmed, but initial reports were of a resident hearing a loud “pounce” then two deer run out, then minutes later a cougar in the area,” Leslie says.
“Because of the delay in reporting and the hour of the incident, and the fact the cougar ran away, we did not investigate,” she adds. Leslie noted deer are known to habituate the area, and cougars will follow them.
A second call was received from a resident who said they had heard of the incident from another source.
“It’s an unsubstantiated sighting, but if there are deer in the area it would not be unusual for a cougar to also be in the neighbourhood, but we cannot confirm with certainty it was,” Leslie says.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.