The post String of cougar attacks leaves one dog dead in Port Hardy appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

The post Cougar cub spotted in Courtenay moved to Mainland Zoo appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

The Comox Valley has certainly been a hot bed for cougar sightings this spring and summer, according to the Conservation Office.

Conservation Officer Steve Petrovic says they've been getting plenty of calls from the area.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/STEVE-PETROVIC-1.wav"][/audio]

Officer Petrovic breaks down the numbers by local municipality, and it looks like Courtenay leads the way in the number of calls.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/STEVE-PETROVIC-21.wav"][/audio]

He reminds that if you need to report a cougar sighting, to call 1-877-952-7277.

The post Courtenay leads the pack in Comox Valley cougar sightings appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

Earlier we told about a Lake Trail area resident in Courtenay, who suspected his dog suffered bite wounds from a cougar attack on Friday night. But Conservation Officer Steve Petrovick says that doesn't appear to be the case.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SP-1.wav"][/audio]

Petrovick says the vet determined the dog likely didn't sustain bite puncture wounds consistent with a cougar attack.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SP2.wav"][/audio]

Despite that, extreme caution is being advised in the Comox Valley after dozens of recent cougar sightings.

The post Vet says cougar not likely responsible for Lake Trail attack on dog appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

Comox Valley RCMP confirm they responded to reports of a possible cougar attack on a family's dog in the Lake Trail area of Courtenay just after 10 p.m on Friday night. Police say the dog had ventured outside, and upon returning home, the owners had discovered the animal suffered rear quarter wounds from an attack. Police responded and searched the area but failed to find any trace of the cougar, and say there were no witnesses to the possible cougar attack. Police say Conservation officials did not respond to the incident, calls from our newsroom to Conservation officials have not been returned. Facebook posts suggest the pitbull that was attacked will make it through o-k. There has been numerous cougar sightings and cougar incidents in recent months in the Comox Valley so with kids returning to school Monday, extreme caution is advised.

The post RCMP investigating possible cougar attack on family pet appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

Another pair of cougar sightings happened around the Village of Cumberland on Monday, however none were found by conservation officers.

Conservation Officer Steve Petrovic says the first sighting occurred when a woman was walking in an alley between Maryport and Penrith avenue at around 8:20 in the morning.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/COUGAR-SIGHTING-1.wav"][/audio]

He says later, around 7 that evening, another cougar was spotted in the Coal Heights area in the west end of Cumberland.

Petrovic says a couple were taking photos when a cougar passed roughly 50 meters in front of them. The conservation attended and located a cougar track, but didn't find the cat.

The Conservation Office reminding that if you spot a cougar, give them a call at 1-877-952-7277.

The post More cougar sightings in Cumberland appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

A cougar was killed by conservation officers in North Courtenay last Thursday, prompting a wave of response on The Goat Facebook page. Some of you thought the killing was unnecessary, wondering why relocation wasn't an option.

Well, we checked in with Conservation Officer Steve Petrovic. He says they were called out to the area after the cougar was spotted pacing back and forth in the backyard of a family with young children.

He says they found out a neighbor had seen the cougar in the area around 6 am that same day, meaning it had been in the area for a while.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/COUGARUPDATE.wav"][/audio]

As for relocation, Petrovic says they reserve that for animals who are not desensitized to humans, or often spotted in residential areas. However, he adds relocation can come with some problems as well.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/STEVE-PETROVIC-2.wav"][/audio]

Finally, Petrovic says if you see a cougar to call the Conservation Office as soon as possible, because if the office can intervene early, they may not have to kill it.

The number for the office is 1-877-952-7277.

The post Conservation officer explains why cougar was shot appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

There have been a few more cougar sightings in the Cumberland forest area, although this time, the Conservation Office says the cougars appear to be behaving much more aggressively.

Officer Gord Gudbranson recounts a very close call one local motorcyclist had while biking down the trails near Whites Bay.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/COUGARMOTORCYCLE.wav"][/audio]

Gudbranson says the man was obviously a little shaken, but otherwise okay.

Shortly after that, Gudbranson says the same two cougars were seen stalking towards a family dog, near the beach.

He says there is a risk to the public, and they're asking everyone to stay away from the local area around Whites Bay and the Cumberland community forest.

He adds the Conservation office has been on sight the last few days trying different capture methods, and they'll continue to put resources in the area. He promises that once the area is safe, they'll let the public know.

The post Aggressive cougars prompt strong warning from Conservation office appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

The conservation office say they've had multiple sightings of a cougar on some popular trails in the Cumberland forest, the most recent sighting coming on Thursday.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/COUGARS-1.wav"][/audio]

Conservation Officer Gord Gudbranson says on two of those occasions, mountain bikers actually had to get off their bikes to make themselves look bigger, in an effort to shoo the animal away.

He says while they've had a sighting of multiple cougars, they believe only one is acting 'moderately aggressive' towards people.

Gudbranson reminds people to take care on area trails, and to follow basic cougar safety rules. For instance;

• Make yourself look big
• Face the cougar
• Back away slowly
• Report any sightings to 1-877-952-7277

He says the conservation office is out doing patrols in the forest, and that public tips are a great way to help them narrow down the search, as the cougars have been reported in several different areas in the forest.

The post Cougar sightings in Cumberland prompt warning from conservation office appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

Another cougar sighting in Courtenay! This latest happened on Sunday, and it looks like the big cat is using the rail corridor to move around the city. Goat News spoke with Conservation Officer James Hilgeman.

[audio wav="http://989.thegoatrocks.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/COUGAR.wav"][/audio]

There have been several recent cougar sightings throughout the Courtenay area.

The post Courtenay cougar sighting prompts conservation officer response appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.