Pine Ridge Village
Scene of Cougar Sighting
While certainly not unheard of in this part of town, last Friday afternoon it is reported a cougar was spotted in the area close to Rock City Elementary School.
Parents of children at the school received a bulletin advising of the sighting and outlining some basic safety rules surrounding a cougar encounter.
Those rules include giving the animal an escape route, pick children up from the ground as they frighten easily and their movements could provoke an attack and never approach a cougar.
Some further advice includes:
- making noise which will cause the animal to retreat
- dusk and dawn are times for the most caution
- cougars don't bluff charge like a bear, and playing dead is not recommended in a cougar attack
- don't run as this can well trigger the cougar's natural predator instinct
- face the cougar and retreat slowly, keep direct eye contact while slowly retreating
- raise your arms above your head to look as big as possible
- if it comes to it, be prepared to fight for your life with whatever resources you have at hand
...good reason to change weapons' laws in BC, especially on VI... how else can one protect themselves against potential attack from cougars and bears within Nanaimo city limits.
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