Cougar attacks woman mountain biking along trail on BC's Sunshine Coast
A woman who was mountain biking along a trail on the Sunshine Coast over the weekend was attacked by a cougar, British Columbia Conservation Officer Service reports.
The incident happened around 3:30 pm Sunday when the woman was cycling along a trail in the Roberts Creek area near the B+K forest service road when the cougar chased her.
Laurenne Karmel/Daily Hive
BCCOS said the woman suffered minor injuries and was treated in hospital after the mountain lion lunged and swatted at her.
“A group of nearby trail builders arrived moments after the encounter and scared the cougar off,” a tweet from BCCOS reads.
Laurenne Karmel/Daily Hive
Conservations officers said it responded to the scene Sunday with RCMP and they executed a safety sweep of the area, set trail cameras, posted signage and were in the area until dark to ensure public safety.
Laurenne Karmel/Daily Hive
While BCCOS and RCMP were in the area Sunday, there were no other cougar sightings. Conservation officers added they will be in the area again Monday.
Two trails near the attack site are closed.
Two trails in the vicinity of the attack site are closed & the public is asked to respect the closures. The public is also asked to take precautions to avoid wildlife encounters, including travelling in groups, carrying bear spray & leashing pets. For more tips, visit @wildsafebc pic.twitter.com/m9m4AKdZO1
— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) June 12, 2023
“The public is asked to respect the closures,” BCCOS added. “The public is also asked to take precautions to avoid wildlife encounters, including travelling in groups, carrying bear spray, and leashing pets.”
For tips on cougar safety, visit the WildSafeBC website.
While cougar attacks are rare, it is important to know how to reduce your risk of an encounter, and also, how to react if you do encounter one.
We highly recommend having bear spray when in #WildlifeCountry and knowing how to use it. Learn more at https://t.co/wKL1G9M6JD pic.twitter.com/93m5I3ZqEr— WildSafeBC (@wildsafebc) January 10, 2023
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