Cougar on the prowl in Saanich's urban Uptown area prompts police warning

Andrew Kurjata · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 1:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Saanich police person issued a nationalist informing aft a cougar was spotted prowling astir the Greater Victoria city's municipality Uptown neighbourhood successful respective locations Wednesday night.

It's the 2nd constabulary informing astir a cougar connected southbound Vancouver Island this week aft Central Saanich police urged caution aft 1 of the animals was spotted adjacent Saanichton colony centre connected Tuesday.

In a Facebook station made Thursday morning, Saanich police said officers spotted the carnal astatine astir 10 p.m. successful the 3800 artifact of Rowland Ave., and aboriginal received reports of it walking on the Lochside Trail betwixt Darwin Avenue and Saanich Road in Swan Lake Park.

A video posted to a section Facebook leafage shows the carnal walking adjacent a residential complex just northbound of the Uptown Shopping Centre, crossed from the city's main occurrence hall.

Police accidental the carnal has been reported to the conservation serviceman work and the nationalist has been asked to usage caution.

"If you brushwood the cougar locomotion distant dilatory and telephone 911," the station says.

LISTEN | A Vancouver Island cougar researcher connected knowing the animals: 

According to WildSafeBC, cougars relationship for astir 2,500 calls to conservation officers successful B.C. each year, though galore crook retired to beryllium different ample cats, and attacks are "very rare."

"If you brushwood a cougar, support calm and ne'er run," the bureau says.

"Make yourself look arsenic ample arsenic imaginable and backmost distant slowly, keeping the cougar successful view, and allowing a wide exit for the cougar. If attacked, ever combat backmost and ne'er 'play dead.'"

Cougar sightings are not antithetic connected Vancouver Island; past year, a hiking way adjacent Nanaimo was closed owed to an "aggressive" animal, and a Tofino household received nationalist attraction aft being visited by a cougar successful their blistery tub.