A conservation officer wants people to know that bobcat sightings are a common thing this time of year after one was reportedly spotted on Burnaby Mountain last week.
Clayton Debruin told the NOW his North Vancouver office gets a lot of bobcat calls during the snowy months, and 99 per cent of them are just sightings.
“The winter conditions and the extra snow on the ground, it’s usually a little harder for cats to find their natural food sources,” he said.
On Jan. 4, a media outlet told the story of a man who was snowshoeing up Burnaby Mountain and ran into a bobcat. It apparently followed him before it turned around and took off.
“It’s typical of cat behaviour,” Debruin said. “It’s very rare (they) have any conflicts with humans. They’re prey animals. They stalk and ambush their prey; they make assessments and if they assess it’s going to jeopardize their survival, then they’re not going to act. What it sounds like here (is) the bobcat made an assessment and decided it was a human and decided to move on.”
The conservation officer added bobcats are not aggressive.
The only time they may come into conflict with humans is when pets are left off leash, especially early morning and late evening, according to Debruin.
Should anyone come into the path of a bobcat, he said it’s best to scare it away by clapping your hands, taking an aggressive stance and making sure the animal has a clear escape route.
Debruin noted hanging bird feeders may attract the animal.
“Bobcats and other cats will learn if they can’t find their regular food source, they may go to the house where they know the birds are going to be there, same time and place every day,” he said.
