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Wildlife
Trap set for yet another North Okanagan cougar
NORTH OKANAGAN - A cougar preying on house cats in a North Okanagan subdivision marks yet another big cat encounter in what has been a busy year for the conservation service. Sgt. Josh Lockwood of the North Okanagan Conservation Service says the latest cougar was spotted two weeks ago in the McLeod subdivision, north-east of...
Dogs get between cougars and people during two Osoyoos encounters
OSOYOOS - Two people encountering cougars in Osoyoos were fortunate to be with their dogs when the chance meetings occurred. A cougar was spotted near Magnolia Place (Destiny Beach) on Monday, Sept. 29 around 8:30 p.m. The cougar was chased off by a dog who came back injured but with blood on his mouth, according...
A cougar killed her dog and dropped it at her feet
VERNON - A Vernon family is readjusting to life without their beloved family dog after he was killed by a cougar in their backyard. Milton, a six-year-old Chihuahua/Maltese, was let out to play as usual the morning of Sept. 21 in the backyard of the family’s McLennan Road property in the BX area of Vernon....
I spy: Have you seen these endangered species of the South Okanagan?
PENTICTON - The South Okanagan is a vast land full of rare, strange and interesting creatures. And it is known as one of the most at risk regions in all of Canada, according to the South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program. Most at-risk species can be divided into four categories: Wetlands, grasslands, forests and riparian areas. Here’s...
Cougar discovered inside a home, chewing on a dog toy
VERNON - It wasn’t a 911 call anyone would ever expect to make. “There’s a cougar in my house chewing on a squeaky toy,” says a Westside Road resident who asked to be referred to only by her first name, Verena. “The police initially thought I might be hallucinating.” Verena, 53, just returned home from...
Wondering where the wildlife is? WildSafeBC has you covered
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It’s spring and that means there are lots of wild baby animals roaming around, but hopefully not in backyards and towns. In the Thompson-Okanagan, black bears are the most common wildlife spotted. There have been a total of 42 black bear sightings in the last two weeks; three in Kamloops, eight in Naramata,...
Bear euthanized for attempted break and enter
NARAMATA — A conservation officer was forced to put down an unhealthy looking bear trying to break into a home in Naramata on Wednesday. Officials say the bear was most likely trying to get food. It had been under surveillance after it was spotted a few days ago with its sibling and mother. However, the...
Okanagan gone ‘batty’ over new program
OKANAGAN - The Okanagan has a new bat program to help with conservation, using the public’s help in detecting bat sites. The Okanagan Community Bat Project offers resources to the public, such as bat education and options for dealing with bats in buildings. References can be found online and questions can be called in to...
Conservation on the lookout for East Hill bear
VERNON - East Hill residents are being warned there’s a bear in their neck of the woods. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says a large bear was spotted in the East Hill neighbourhood over the past few days. There haven’t been any run-ins with people or pets, though the Conservation Service is actively working to locate...
Conservation group rallies for support with video
PENTICTON - A national nature group made a video to support turning Okanagan land into a national park, in order to protect endangered species and grasslands wildlife. There has been controversy in the last few months around the Okanagan grasslands and how to keep them protected. Earlier this spring, the Nature Trust of British Columbia,...
Sheep-eating cougar killed in East Kelowna
KELOWNA – A male cougar was destroyed by Conservation officers after an East Kelowna resident complained it killed three of his sheep. Officers attending the June Springs property decided the cat could not be relocated and were forced to shoot the animal in the interest of public safety. It is the policy of the Ministry...