Squamish residents reminded importance of reporting wildlife sightings

Residents in Squamish are being reminded to notify the Conservation Officer Service (COS) of wildlife sightings in the community.

Squamish WildSafeBC Community Coordinator Meg Toom says that notifying COS allows for more awareness and provides opportunities for possible education and monitoring. The reminder comes after an unconfirmed report of a cougar near the Squamish Valley Golf Course in the evening of January 30th.

WildSafe BC is a program designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict through education, innovation and cooperation. When sightings are reported through the Province’s Report All Poachers and Polluters line (RAPP), or via WildSafeBC’s online Wildlife Alert Reporting Program (WARP) officials can then track movements of wildlife and determine the best measures to keep both wildlife and the public safe. In Toom’s case this means educating the public who maybe in the immediate area of a sighting.

“We live in wildlife country and can expect to see wildlife, such as cougars, throughout the year.” says Toom. “Residents should be aware of creating food chains in their backyards that may attract predators i.e. birdseed can attract raccoons which in turn can attract cougars, coyotes and bobcat.”

On January 22nd a cougar was destroyed in Brackendale by the COS because it had become habituated, and was killing household pets in the daytime. Sargent Simon Gravel with COS says they learn’t on the day the cougar was destroyed that it had been very active in the area for the past few weeks. Gravel says early intervention is key in mitigating wildlife conflict.

You can find more information about living with wildlife and WildSafeBC’s WARP service here. Residents can report wildlife sightings to the Conservation Officer Service 24/7 by calling 1-877-952-7277.