sighting in Prince George, BC

[Emily]

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/inde ... Itemid=557

Cougars seen in Pineview
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(News) Friday, 22 February 2008, 01:00 PST
FRANK PEEBLES Citizen staff

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Conservation officers were called to the Pineview area on Thursday to investigate a pair of cougar sightings.

CO Gary Van Spengen said the sightings are unconfirmed, but there were two separate alerts from the public in the same area, so no chances are being taken.

"We did have two complaints today, but have been unable to locate either complaint," Van Spengen said. "I have been to both areas that were noted and I have found wildlife tracks, but none of them are cougar. So I am still investigating and it is unconfirmed."

The first Pineview sighting on Thursday was at about 8:30 a.m. and the second was about 12:45 p.m. They were both in the Chilcotin Road vicinity.

This is the same area in which a cougar was put down by COs on Tuesday. It was the third cougar to be shot by conservation officers in the past several weeks in the Prince George area.

In the two other instances, the cougars had killed dogs, one on a property at McGuire Road off Chief Lake Road, and another at an Upper Mud River Road residence in Beaverly.

Van Spengen went to Pineview and Buckhorn elementary schools this week to pass on information to staff and students.

"There is a lot of heightened awareness with regard to this," he said. "It is best to be cautious about cougars, especially in these rural areas, but the chances of a cougar attack are minimal. That said, it has obviously been known to happen. If people are aware of their surroundings people should have no problems."

Van Spengen said it was uncertain whether the cougar killed on Tuesday was the same cat spotted in the Willow Cale Road and Highway 97 area farther to the south. Last week, a dog escaped a cougar attack in that area, but this week a goat was killed.

"We don't know if it is ... the same cougar, but the straight line distance is not that far so it is possible it was the same cougar," he said.

"Actually this is abnormal for Prince George to have this many issues with cougars," he said. "We do get sightings, but this year my guess is snow conditions are making them move around in ways we are not used to seeing."

Van Spengen urged the public to be wary of cougars, but not to disregard the dangers posed by moose as well. Several moose encounters have happened around the city lately and as long as people don't bother the moose there is little chance of a safety issue, he said. But if people interject in what the moose are doing or harass the moose, they can become dangerous.