A Smithers man who says he punched a cougar in the face is telling his story to warn others that the big cats are in the community.
David Fordyce was working at a property near the boat launch on St Anne Road near Lake Kathlyn on July 26, clearing weeds and laying down a layer of cardboard along a path so that mulch could be put down.
He said he was bent over cutting weeds with an X-acto knife when he heard branches break behind him. He turned, and there was a cougar in the brush about 10-15 feet away.
"Right after I saw it, it ran at me," he said. "It's right paw came up, glanced off the left side of my face, and clawed my left upper chest, and at that same time I had the X-acto knife in my hand, blade was retracted at the moment, and I swung my right fist as hard as I could into the side of its face."
He said after he hit it, the cat jumped back and took off into the bushes. He yelled as loud as he could and slowly backed up along the stairs towards his boss's house, and reported what had happened.
He sustained minor injuries but did not require medical attention.
He said there wasn't much going through his head during the encounter, just that there was a cougar coming at him. He said his instincts took over and the whole thing lasted only a couple of seconds.
"I'm just glad that it was me it went after, and not someone's pet or child, as the area is frequented by people looking to swim or use the boat launch," he said.
Conservation Officers responded to the area, but did not find the cougar. A live trap was deployed in the area, but was removed 24 hours later. COs attended the area again the following morning with hounds, but again saw no signs of the animal.
The COS is continuing to monitor cougar activity in the area and will respond as necessary to ensure public safety, it said.
According to WildSafeBC, cougars account for approximately 2,500 calls to the Conservation Officer Service reporting line every year. However, many reported cougar sightings turn out to be animals other than cougars.
The website said cougar attacks are very rare, but if you encounter a cougar, keep calm and never run. Make yourself look as large as possible and back away slowly, keeping the cougar in view, and allowing a clear exit for the cougar. If attacked, always fight back and never 鈥減lay dead鈥�. If travelling with small children, pick them up immediately.