Local man sounds alarm about cougar sighting in Kelowna neighbourhood

Cougar in Upper Mission

A Kelowna man is sounding the alarm about cougars in the area after he spotted what looks like a big cat on his security camera.

Ryan asked us not to use his last name for privacy reasons, but he wanted his Upper Mission neighbours to be aware that a cougar has been spotted prowling the territory.

"I live on Quarry Avenue in the Upper Mission, above Sun City cherries."

The cat appears to be prowling through the area at around 3 a.m. Ryan says he has a dog, but he's not worried about it being attacked at that time of the morning.

"Never seen one on our street before. We've seen raccoons and things, but never a cougar," Ryan says.

Ryan says there are lots of deer in the area, and he speculates that may be the reason this cougar has come into his neighbourhood.

It's not unusual for cougars to be active in the Okanagan during February, according to WildSafeBC, cougars have large ranges, and some males have been recorded travelling over 50 kilometres in one day.

Predators like cougars typically follow their prey, such as deer, to lower elevations in search of food. February is a peak time for encounters like these, as winter conditions, bring the primary prey of cougars, deer, closer to urban areas.