257. Cougar

We only know of 3 instances of cougars (Puma concolor) occurring at Leaning Oaks, although we suspect they pass through our property  more often than we know. The first is a sighting from the previous owners of our property.  The second was a single footprint on the top of  a pile of soil dumped the from a wheelbarrow the night before.  The third record is by far the most fun, when Leah had a female cougar screaming from under our bedroom window one night.  Cougar screams are loud and blood curdling at anytime, but particularly so at close range and when you are alone!  Click here and choose the clip of a female cougar in heat to get an idea of what Leah heard that night. There are cougar sightings in our neighbourhood almost every year however and Leaning Oaks is frequented by deer daily, so we keep hoping to catch one with our wildlife camera.  Vancouver Island has one of the highest densities of cougars in the world with an estimated population of 1200 cats.  This photo was not taken at Leaning Oaks - this  is a slightly overweight cat from the Calgary Zoo. 

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