Vancouver — When Venus Yau spotted an animal wandering through her backyard in West Vancouver's Ambleside neighbourhood on Friday morning, she at first thought it was a neighbour's pet. "I saw a huge cat strolling through my backyard and I thought, who raised such a big, fat cat?" Yau said. But when the animal approached her window, staring inside curiously before turning and walking away, Yau realized it was a wild animal. When her kids came home from school, she showed them the video. "They told me, that's a bobcat," Yau said. In the video Yau took, the bobcat can be seen looking in through the window and wagging its distinctive short tail. For Yau, who moved to West Vancouver from Hong Kong a year ago, the encounter was fascinating. "I didn't open the window, I kept on looking at the cat and the cat was looking at me, and then we made eye contact with each other," Yau said. "I waved hello to the cat, and then the cat waved its tail at me." Yau added she’s well aware it’s important to keep your distance from wild animals, but shared the video because she hopes it shows that humans can live in harmony with wildlife. Cougars, bears, coyotes and bobcats are sometimes spotted on the North Shore. Bobcats can prey on pets, so residents should avoid leaving out any food or garbage that could attract them or their prey animals, such as racoons and mice, according to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. Residents are also advised to bring their pets in at night. David Karn, a communications staffer with the Ministry of the Environment, said if residents see a bobcat, they should not approach the animal and keep their distance. If people are unsure whether to report a sighting, they can call the Conservation Officer Service's Rerport All Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-RAPP(7277).
