Cougar seen in Delbrook area 

The Conservation Officer Service is urging caution after a cougar was seen in the Delbrook area.

The cougar was seen this Tuesday, October 8. The sign was placed on Delbrook at Evergreen Place. “I am assuming it was probably in the Mosquito Creek area since that is where wildlife seems to move up and down the mountain,” said Keith Reynolds, a member of Delbrook Community Association.

In August, North Vancouver RCMP officers responded — with guns drawn — to a cougar sighting on a Mosquito Creek trail in Delbrook.

Conservation officer for the area, Simon Gravel, says the trail is a forested area with lots of green space and these sightings are common.

Gravel says the residents need to be aware that there are cougars in the area and they shouldn’t leave their pets alone or anything else on the trail that can attract a cougar. “This is a reminder for people to be vigilant,” he says.

According to the District of North Vancouver, cougar sightings are rare in the area. However, since the back-country area surrounding the district is cougar territory, cougars have been spotted in the neighbourhoods.

Cougars account for approximately 2,500 calls to the Conservation service reporting line every year. However, many of these sightings turn out to be animals other than the cougar.

Call the District of North Vancouver at 604-990-2327 to report a cougar. You can also call the COS call centre at 1-877-952-7277 if a cougar poses an immediate threat or danger to public safety.