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Cougar checks out Sunday hikers in Maple Ridge

Sat at trail side, undetected by hikers
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Keep your eyes peeled when you’re out walking in the woods.

Because you never know what you might be missing, or who’s watching. Gord Weisflock was on a hike in the UBC Research Forest Sunday afternoon at about 4 p.m. when he spotted a cougar sitting beside the trail at the entrance to the forest in north Maple Ridge.

He grabbed a picture of the healthy looking animal as it sat at trail side, apparently undetected by hikers.

“Quite a few people were within 100 feet of it, oblivious to the fact,” he said.

That’s not the only encounter Ridge people have had recently with other residents of the area. Nicole McCabe took a picture of a coyote having a nap in her backyard on Oct. 28 and just let keep on snoozing, though others on Facebook warned her not to get too close.

And Geoff Allen saw another example of wildlife just taking it easy as a black bear lolled against a tree trunk behind his house on Kanaka Way earlier this week.

“First shot was him lying down eating a pumpkin he pinched,” said Allen. “Funniest was him leaning against the tree having a rest.”

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Bear-ly awake Geoff Allen saw a bear taking it easy behind his house on Kanaka Way, lolling against a tree trunk. Allen saw him lying down and eating a pumpkin he had come across, before taking a picture of him having a rest. Contributed