Canada’s largest cat, the cougar, is known as one of the most mysterious and secretive animals in the world. As a result, it’s unlikely you will ever see one in the wild.
However, there’s one spot that boasts the greatest chance of you encountering one of these predators, and that’s BC’s Vancouver Island, which reports the highest concentration of cougars on the planet.
An estimated 4,000 cougars live in BC alone, and 600 to 800 live on Vancouver Island. The cougars that live on Vancouver Island are their own subspecies, the Puma concolor vancouverensis, which translates to the Vancouver Island cougar. They are a vital part of the wilderness and ecosystem.
Vancouver Island COS ear tagging a captured young cougar on the Gorge in Victoria. Thanks to @vicpdcanada, @VictoriaFire730 and VicAnimal Control for the combined work. Cougar was in good health and will be relocated back to the wilderness. pic.twitter.com/Iar9YTkPik
— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) April 27, 2019
But while we might be fearful of meeting these cats face-to-face, they really don’t want anything to do with us.
Even researchers have struggled to learn much about them and their numbers because they are so elusive. What they do know is that despite a massive eradication effort in the 1960s, their numbers today are strong enough that they are not deemed to be at risk.
“Cougar are abundant in western Canada, with established breeding populations confirmed in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The presence of cougar has been confirmed in the Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Manitoba, which are not considered to be within the historical range of cougar,” The Government of Canada wrote in 2015 on its Puma concolor (Cougar) findings.
Patrol officers located a cougar in the Selkirk Waterfront area early this morning.https://t.co/2loGhiO0r4#yyj #CommunityUpdate pic.twitter.com/sVJAvpGTbh
— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) November 21, 2023
“This suggests that populations of the cougar in the west are expanding eastward and northward, possibly following the expansion of the deer population. Population size is difficult to estimate because of the elusive nature of the cougar. The current Canadian population is estimated to be between 7,000 and 10,000 individuals.”
Cougar attacks in BC
Finn Steiner/Shutterstock
According to the University of Victoria, in the past 100 years in BC, fatal cougar attacks have been exceedingly rare, with five recorded deaths, the majority happening on Vancouver Island.
To compare, bees kill upwards of three Canadians every year, the Ministry of Environment says.
“Meeting a cougar is the last thing people want when they’re out enjoying Vancouver Island’s wilderness trails, campgrounds and beaches. But as humans have claimed more of the wilderness for recreation, development and forestry, the chance of encountering these reclusive predators has increased,” the UVic website details in part.
However, non-lethal attacks on humans are in the double digits, with the most likely to be hurt being those under 16 and the highest proportion of those attacks occurring on Vancouver Island.
“Cougars seem to be attracted to children, possibly because their high-pitched voices, small size, and erratic movements make it difficult for cougars to identify them as human and not prey,” the Government of BC says.
The highest number of attacks is reported in the late spring and summer when young cougars become independent from their mothers and roam widely in search of a new range without other cougars. A body of land cut off by water means they can only really go so far and often need to explore human-occupied territories.
That also makes encountering a cougar while hiking on the island that much more likely, especially right now and particularly if you are in the southern third part of the region and in a rural area.
How to survive a cougar attack
Laurenne Karmel/Daily Hive
It’s important to first remember you might be in cougar territory.
“Cougar are stalk and ambush predators and will occupy a wide range of habitats where the vegetation and topography are favourable for this type of hunting,” the Canadian government states.
In general, cougars are predators which feed largely on deer and small mammals — not humans. But to avoid cougar encounters or attacks, here are a few tips while you’re hiking and what to do if you encounter a cougar, according to WildSafeBC.
While hiking:
- Travel in groups and make noise to avoid surprising a cougar
- Always keep children close to you
- Carry bear spray
- Be mindful of fresh tracks
- Like bear cubs, if you stumble upon cougar kittens, leave the area immediately as the female will be close and defend her young
- Keep pets leashed
- Do not leave open food or food scraps on you
Watch: Vancouver Island cougar stalks man while on a hike
If you encounter a cougar:
- If you see a cougar in the distance, do not run or turn your back.
- If the cougar appears to be unaware of your presence, gather children and pets in close, slowly and cautiously back away, and leave the area.
- If a cougar is hissing and snarling or staring intently at you and tracking your movements, do not run, and do not play dead. Make yourself look big and speak loudly.
- If the cougar makes contact, fight back and don’t give up. Use all means at your disposal.
- It’s also critical not to feed any kind of wildlife to help prevent cougars and other predators from entering your neighbourhood.
Have you ever had an encounter with a cougar? Let us know in the comments.