A Vancouver Island resident had a surprise when she looked out her kitchen window Thursday morning: two juvenile cougars were playing in her yard.

含羞草研究社淚 was just sitting in my kitchen, having coffee, getting my daughter breakfast, and 含羞草研究社� I just caught a glimpse out of my kitchen window. I knew exactly what it was,含羞草研究社� said Saffina Welch, who moved to the Buckley Bay area of the Comox Valley, from Vancouver earlier this summer. 含羞草研究社淚 just made sure my dog was inside, because he sometimes likes to sleep on the deck. But he was [inside] so I grabbed my phone, went into the bathroom for a better viewing spot and started shooting.

含羞草研究社淭he footage isn含羞草研究社檛 good, because I believe in watching, as opposed to videoing. But it was a pretty cool thing to experience.含羞草研究社�

Welch said she has observed many animals in the wild, but had never seen a cougar before.

含羞草研究社淚 used to be a biologist, so I have spent a lot of time [studying] bears, wolves and other animals含羞草研究社� so looking for a cougar, I wasn含羞草研究社檛 expecting it to be in my back yard. It含羞草研究社檚 been on my bucket list for a long time, so I含羞草研究社檓 pretty happy, because I含羞草研究社檝e got a lot of colleagues who含羞草研究社檝e never seen one.含羞草研究社�

Welch figures the pair to be approximately a year old.

含羞草研究社淭hey looked like siblings. They didn含羞草研究社檛 look big含羞草研究社� a friend of mine with similar experience figures they were from last year含羞草研究社檚 litter.含羞草研究社�

She said she contacted the BC Conservation Service to advise officials of the sighting.

含羞草研究社淣ot that I felt it was a risk含羞草研究社� but I believe sightings like this should be reported - the good, as well as the bad.含羞草研究社�

terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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