Cougar spotted on doorstep of home in Magic Estates on Knox Mountain

Photo: Anita Peterson

UPDATE 10:57 a.m.

The woman who snapped a photo of a cougar on the doorstep of a home on Woodpark Crescent, in Magic Estates on Knox Mountain, tells Castanet she took the photo at 5:45 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Anita Peterson says she was going for a run when she spotted the big cat.

"I've never seen a cougar and I've lived in Kelowna my whole life."

She says she was worried that the cat was making its way through the neighbourhood on its way back to the forest.

"He startled me and I hid behind a truck and took a photo. He ran to the door then jumped over the fence into the backyard."

Peterson says she decided to carry on with her run but when she came back an hour later the cat was still there.

"I could hear a dog barking. Then I heard the homeowner yell, 'get out of here.' Then it hissed and growled and jumped. We just ran as fast as we could."

"You don't expect to see it running through a neighbourhood."

UPDATE 8:30 a.m.

There have been several reports of a cougar sighting in the Knox Mountain, Magic Estates area.

A photo posted on 103.9 The Lake Facebook page shows a cougar on the front doorstep of a home on Woodpark Crescent in Magic Estates.

Castanet has received several tips that the big cat is on the prowl in the area including one we received at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning indicating the cat was in the area, "halfway up Knox Mountain at Magic estate access."