A cougar was sighted in the Sooke Town Centre Core this morning in a cow field along Church and Throup Roads.
The cougar also walked along Wadams Way.
The Sooke Family Resource Centre has been taking extra precaution by notifying people on Facebook as well as letting people know about the sighting as they enter the centre.
Conservation officer Rick Dekelver said they are aware of the sighting, and that this is common for the Sooke area where there is a lot of green space for cougars to wander.
“99% of the time they are just doing cougar things,” said Dekelver. “In a case like this we don’t take any action, we just coexist. We know they are just passing through and aren’t posing any threat.”
He explained that the conservation only gets concerned when irregular behaviour is displayed such as aggression towards people.
Dekelver added that if someone were to come in contact with a cougar, they should never turn their back or run away, make lots of noise and try to appear large.
If you spot a cougar or bear in the area, contact the conservation hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
