For folks the rules are simple – if you see a cougar, don’t approach it, maintain a safe distance and back away slowly – never run.<\/p>\n
Black bears, however, play by a different set of rules. And for one Vancouver Island bear caught on camera, there was no messing about, they ran – and fast.<\/p>\n
The wild showdown was discovered by Langford resident Karen Grundlingh when she reviewed trail camera footage set up on her four-acre plot of land in a remote area of the South Island.<\/p>\n
In the video, a bear can be seen minding its business in front of a blackberry bush, when all of a sudden it makes a run for it, darting down a game trail through the bush.<\/p>\n
Seconds later, a cougar appears, chasing at pace.<\/p>\n
When Grundlingh watched the footage, she was standing only a few steps away from where the action happened.<\/p>\n
“It was pretty intense to see,” she said. “I was looking over my shoulder thinking, ‘Umm, you're gone now, right?’”<\/p>\n
The apex predator confrontation has left Sooke-based wildlife group Wild Wise “speechless,” having never seen anything like it before.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes, nature shows us moments we never expect,” said the group in a social media post.<\/p>\n
According to a Wild Wise volunteer passionate about animal behaviour, despite appearances, the cougar was not in attack mode.<\/p>\n
As the big cat can be seen coming to a stop in the bush and not pressing the chase, the volunteer believes the showdown was more of a “territorial protest” rather than a hunt.<\/p>\n
Instead, they say the encounter is a classic example of ‘fight or flight’ behaviour – in both animals.<\/p>\n
“Both species opting for avoidance rather than confrontation,” said the group’s post. “It’s all about making a point and not risking unnecessary conflict.”<\/p>\n
While the rare footage has got wildlife lovers excited, Wild Wise president Mollie Cameron says it’s not uncommon for cougars and bears to cross paths. <\/p>\n
“In fact, both wolves and cougars have been previously observed predating on bears, typically younger animals,” she told Goldstream Gazette.<\/p>\n