Wildlife awareness was front of mind
Twenty-one years ago this summer, right about the time a group of determined volunteers were working to qualify the Village for Bear Smart status, there were other wildlife issues on residents' minds.
According to this article from the July, 2003 issue of The Seagull, coyotes and cougars were a big concern.
Coyotes carried away at least one family cat, and cougars were spotted at least twice in the first month of summer that year.
A check of the provincial government site today leads to the very same Cougar Safety Guide cited in this article. The guide notes that cougar attacks are rare but not unknown in coastal British Columbia.
The same issue of The Seagull noted that residents were encouraged to not place their garbage out before 5 a.m. on pick-up days to help prevent bear encounters.
While there's never been a cougar attack in Lions Bay, the province has plenty of contemporary advice to offer on wildlife safety for campers and residents alike, including tips on keeping safe around bears, wolves and cougars.
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