Last week, a cougar was spotted jumping over the fence of a Canadian residence. The moment was caught by the homeowner's surveillance camera, and later posted to Facebook with the warning "beware." The cougar is one of many that inhabit the Canadian province.
"OMG THAT'S A BIG COUGAR COMING OVER OUR GATE LAST NITE," said Jamie Purcell on Facebook.
The 10-second video attached to the post shows the cougar approach the fence and then stand on its hind legs to survey the area beyond. Seconds later, the animal jumps. The video has been viewed more than 50,000 times.
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In an interview with Coast Mountain News, Purcell said that she wasn't afraid of the cat's presence in the area.
"We are not concerned, maybe some neighbors might be, but I have notified all of them [to] just be aware of your surroundings," she told the outlet.
She further explained that the area in which she lives is quite rural. In addition to last week's cougar sighting, she told the news outlet that she has seen bears, coyotes and owls, among other wildlife.
According to an article published in local outlet Vancouver Is Awesome in 2019, an estimated 4,000 individual cougars live in Canada. Of those, 3,500 inhabit British Columbia, the same province in which Purcell lives.
Though the British Columbia cougar population is rather large, sightings are said to be rare, and attacks are even rarer. Vancouver Island's website states that only five fatal cougar attacks have occurred in the province within the last century. Over that same period, there were 29 non-fatal attacks. Most of the attacks involved children 16 and under.
To prevent a possible attack, British Columbia's government encourages residents to feed all pets indoors or to bring any uneaten food inside, as the scent can attract a cougar. Additionally, residents should avoid feeding wildlife, and try not to keep plants that attract deer, as cougars hunt deer.
Facebook commenters loved the video, and despite Vancouver Island's claim that few people spot cougars, many said that there were frequent cougar sightings in their towns as well.
"What a beautiful creature!" said one commenter. "Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and keep the pets protected."
"This is every town on Vancouver island every night lol," joked a commenter named Tee.
Another commenter named Phelicia responded to Tee, saying: "Pretty much! We have so many in lake Cowichan it's nuts! I've counted 5 just this summer at our old house and our new area all in the same town."
