Conservation officers and their K-9 teams spent Wednesday searching Blackcomb Mountain for two cougars reported by the public over the past weekend.
In an update, COS said the crews investigated fresh sightings throughout the day and even checked a report of a grizzly bear. No cougars were found. One sighting turned out to be a pair of coyotes, while the bear was confirmed as a cinnamon-phase black bear, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) said.
“COS K-9’s are continuing to search the area and will resume efforts tomorrow,” the agency said in a written update.
Officers have fielded multiple calls since Friday night about cougars chasing, stalking and acting aggressively toward people on local trails. The same two cats are believed to have triggered last week’s temporary shutdown of the Rubble Creek trail in Garibaldi Provincial Park.
In consultation with Whistler Blackcomb, the resort’s main Mountain Bike Park reopened on Tuesday, but all trails on the Blackcomb side remain closed while the search continues. Officials urged anyone who encounters a cougar—or sees one acting aggressively—to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277. Safety tips are available at WildSafeBC.com.