iN VIDEO: Vernon doorbell camera captures prowling cougar

Recent cougars sightings near Vernon's Harbour Heights Road appear to be making it a dangerous place to be if you're a wild animal.

Several neighbours have reported sightings of a cougar in the area, and resident Glenn Gorham's security camera captured footage of the big cat in the earlier hours of Monday, Jan. 27.

"I have no idea how big they got… but I was surprised," Gorham told iNFOnews.ca.

Gorham's camera caught footage of a cougar wandering past his front door. Judging from the film he estimated the cat to be five feet in length – excluding its tail – and around two and a half feet tall. After nearly 20 years living on Harbour Heights Road, Gorham said he had heard stories about cougars in the area but never actually seen one. Gorham originally posted the video on the Vernon and Area Community Forum on Facebook.

Gorham said another resident of Harbour Heights saw a cougar snatch a wild turkey from outside their home a couple of weeks ago.

Another Harbour Heights resident got a quick glimpse of a cougar late at night last week.

While sitting watching TV at around 10:30 p.m. Tom Braidwood noticed the outdoor sensor light had come on. He went and looked out of the window.

"And I saw a cougar pulling something behind our car," Braidwood said.

The following day Braidwood went out to investigate only to find large footprints in the snow and a clump of what he assumes is deer hair. Braidwood said he spoke to a conservation officer who told him it was "just a cougar doing what cougars do" but admits he's a bit more vigilant now when heading outside at dusk.

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