Several parts of Whistler Blackcomb will remain shut on Monday following encounters with cougars over the weekend.
The most recent sightings were reported on Sunday morning in the Blackcomb section of Whistler Mountain Bike Park.
Whistler Blackcomb announced that the Ascent Trail, Blackcomb bike trails, and both the Creekside and Garbanzo Zones will be closed on Monday.
A young family recounted to Global News that they encountered a situation where a woman was caught between a cougar above her and another below her on a trail just before noon.
The family shared that the woman used her hiking poles to make noise and scare off the cougars before they arrived.
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“My dad had pepper spray,” shared 11-year-old Carter. “He kept shouting ‘it’s a cougar!’”
After the incident, Carter and his family rode the Gondola back down.
Conservation officers mentioned they haven’t spotted the cougars yet but emphasized that public safety is their main concern.
“We’re on the mountain investigating these events, with multiple conservation officers present,” stated Sgt. Chris Boyle from the BC Conservation Officer Service.
“In both cases, no one was hurt, but the cougars came very close to the bikers, and one even chased a biker for about 300 meters,” he noted.
Officials indicated that since the cougars are in a wild area, they won’t be relocated; they hope the animals will move on by themselves. They believe these incidents are connected.
“We encountered similar situations at Rubble Creek in Garibaldi Park a couple of weeks ago, then again on Whistler Mountain days later, and now on Blackcomb Mountain,” Boyle explained.
Officers mentioned that if the cougars remain in the vicinity and pose threats, they may need to be euthanized.
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