Hundreds of Bowen Islanders sign open letter pleading for removal of cougar

The cougar first made its way to Bowen Island in July last year.

More than 200 Bowen Island, B.C., residents have signed an open letter calling on the safe removal of a cougar that has been roaming the island since last summer.

The letter, penned earlier this month, outlines a flurry of recent sightings and encounters, particularly around the Hood Point region on the island’s northernmost tip. The presence of the feline, believed to have made its way to the island on a floating log boom, has divided the community since its arrival in July 2024.

“Given the heightened activity of these predators nearby and on Bowen Island, it is now time for the Bowen Island Council to urgently take the necessary steps required to safely relocate the animal,” the letter, published in the Bowen Island Undercurrent last week, concludes.

“The ‘wait and see’ period is over.”

Letter penman and Bowen Island resident Bruce Russell says the call to action received 229 signatures within six days, from residents that come from “all walks of life” and from all corners of the island.

Many residents who once had a “live and let live” approach have, in recent months, joined those who were fearful from the start after what he describes as a spate of recent, “quite traumatizing” interactions.

One of those involved two young children encountering the cougar while walking their dog to the main dock at Hood Point. The cougar and the dog “had a conversation,” growling back and forth to one another. “That’s a little bit scary,” he said.

One elderly lady, from the safety of her home, witnessed the big cat attack and consume a doe in her garden. The doe and her two fawns had been daily visitors to the woman’s lawn, and she regarded them almost like “pet deer,” Russell says. The woman is now concerned that a cougar cache - prey that has been covered by leaves, sticks or soil for the predator to return to later - has been constructed somewhere close to her home, and she’s scared of its return.

One resident claims to have seen the cougar at least four times on their property, while another has seen it prowling their garden on three separate occasions.

Russell was raised on Bowen and has lived on the island periodically for over 80 years. He now resides there permanently with his wife, and says the atmosphere on the island currently is unlike anything he has experienced there before.

Kids in the neighbourhood are no longer allowed to have outdoor camping sleepovers; an activity Russell describes as being a “rite of passage” for him and his friends growing up on Bowen. Parents refuse to let their children walk from one home to another come nightfall, instead driving them even if it’s just a mere few houses down the road.

“That’s not the Bowen Island that we grew up with, and that’s not right,” he says.

Russell nods to the recent cougar encounters that have occurred on the mainland, touching on the mountain biker who was attacked in Squamish earlier this month and the hikers who were stalked on a trail in Whistler in June. “We shouldn’t have to wait till those types of activities take place,” he says, describing how residents feel as though the safety and comfort of the cougar is being prioritised, as opposed to that of the residents.

Tensions are so high that fears have begun brewing about the possibility of more than one mountain lion taking up residence on the island.

“If one cougar can get here in that manner, why can’t a second one? What happens if the second one happens to be of the opposite sex? Don’t we have a chance for more cougars to be on the island?” The scenario “may be far-fetched,” says Russell, but rational thought tends to dissipate when people are frightened.

He stresses that residents do not want the creature to be killed, only that it be safely removed.

Bowen Island Mayor Andrew Leonard said the municipality has received and reviewed the open letter and, while the safety and wellbeing of island residents and visitors is of “paramount importance,” it is not within their power to make the decisions the residents are hoping for.

“It is important for the community to understand the scope of municipal responsibility,” he said.

“Wildlife management, including decisions about relocation, tranquilization, or euthanasia, falls entirely under provincial jurisdiction.” Those matters are the responsibility of the BCCOS and the Ministry of Environment and Parks, and the municipality does not have the “legal authority, expertise, or resources” to carry out such activities, he said.

Leonard said “proactive steps” have been taken to protect the Bowen public, including maintaining communication with the COS, hosting the Conservation Officer at a council meeting, and supporting resident awareness through signage, communications, and education efforts.

The council also formally passed a resolution to request a provincial response, based on such raised community concerns.

“I understand the concern and urgency behind the petition. However, it would be misleading to suggest that Bowen Island Municipality has more authority to act directly on this matter than it already has,” Leonard said.

“We remain committed to doing all we can within our legislated powers to support resident safety, to advocate for clear provincial action where appropriate, and to ensure our community continues to be informed and engaged.”

According to the COS, the most recent report was on Aug. 12, when the big cat was spotted between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. with a deer kill, engaging in “natural cougar behaviour.”

Over the last year, reports have been infrequent and haven’t involved the cougar showing aggression towards people, the COS said. It will continue to monitor reports and will respond “as necessary” to ensure public safety.

“It is not the mandate of the COS to create predator-free zones.”

In the meantime, residents are advised to familiarize themselves with precautions in case of cougar encounters, and to not give cougars an opportunity to linger in an area or become comfortable with the presence of people.

“Check your property to ensure that cougars and other wildlife are not drawn there due to poorly managed attractants, such as backyard chickens,” the COS advised.