Sunshine Coast cougar attacks mountain biker

A woman has minor injuries after she was attacked by a cougar while mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast.

The BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) says it happened in a popular trail network in the Roberts Creek area, near the B+K Forest Service Road, around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The BCCOS says the woman was chased by the cougar, which then lunged and swatted at her.

“A group of nearby trail builders arrived moments after the encounter and scared the cougar off,” the service says in a tweet.

The woman was treated at the hospital, the BCCOS notes, adding conservation officers and Mounties responded to the area Sunday to conduct a “safety sweep.”

Though trail cameras were set, signs were posted, and officers stayed in the area until dark, no cougars were seen. The service says officers were redeployed Monday.

While encounters between humans and the big cats are uncommon, a wildlife expert tells CityNews that oftentimes, cougars and other wildlife will be spooked by mountain bikes that can quickly traverse trails.

“The key thing to realize when you’re out on trails, especially mountain biking, the bikes come around the corner quickly and there’s not always a lot of noise being made by the bikes. So any animals that are in and around those trail areas might be startled by the bikers,” explained Lisa Lopez, the program manager with WildsafeBC.

She says if you do encounter a mountain lion while in the wild, you should back away slowly, maintain eye contact, and if it approaches, fight back.

Find rocks, find sticks, anything that you can throw at that cougar and just be assertive. Do the best you can to not let that animal approach you,” Lopez said.

In addition to avoiding the trails in the area, the BCCOS is asking people to take precautions when outdoors in case they encounter wildlife, such as cougars and bears.