Cougars in our backyard – co-existing with North America’s biggest cat
Guest speaker: Tom Saare, Assistant Instructor – Fish, Wildlife & Recreation Program, BC Institute of Technology
Topic: Wildlife-conflict expert Tom Saare joined us for a fascinating talk about the Lower Mainland’s most intriguing wild cat, the cougar. As urban growth touches our north shore wilderness areas and people venture into the local forests, we increase our contact with local wildlife. Cougar sightings and camera captures appear to be on the rise, but how much do we really know about these big cats?
Tom Saare, BCIT Fish and Wildlife Program Instructor and wildlife-conflict specialist, shared cougar biology and behaviours while discussing the most current thinking around how cougars live and adapt to their surroundings.
Book Titles:
The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous
Paula Wild (published 2013)
The Cougar Conundrum: Sharing the World with a Successful Predator
Mark Elbroch (published 2020)
Carnivores of British Columbia (Royal BC Museum Handbook)
David Hatler, David Nagorsen, Alison Beal (published 2008)
Clips from Presentation
Agency Documents
- Procedure Manual: Preventing and Responding to Conflicts with Large Canivores
- Conservation Officer Service: Human-Cougar Conflict Response Guidelines
- Predator Conflicts and Statistics
- Wildlife Alert Reporting Program-WARP (WildSafe BC)
Interested in more Zoom talks? Check out our next event here.
THE FEAR FACTOR
Monday, February 15th, 2020
7 pm – 8 pm
Guest speaker: Dr. Rob Butler
The mere presence of predators has a profound effect on how animals behave and how entire ecosystems function. Once you hear this story, you will begin to see the natural world in an entirely new way. Join Dr. Rob Butler in this lively talk about all types of predators.
