Although many cats don’t like water, cougars are excellent swimmers. And they don’t just go for little dips either. One, wearing a GPS collar, was tracked swimming 6.5 kilometres from downtown Nanaimo to Gabriola Island.
In the last two years I’ve seen four YouTube videos featuring cougars swimming off Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. And in each video, the big cat went straight for the boat.
Was it curious or had its chase instinct been triggered by the fast moving object? Who knows, perhaps it just wanted to hitch a ride.
As curious as you may be, there are documented cases of cougars attempting to climb into moving boats so it’s best not to get too close.
A friend who loves to kayak asked what she should do if she saw a cougar swimming towards her kayak. My advice: pray, prepare your bear spray and paddle like hell!
This is one of my favourite swimming cougar videos. (It’s at the end of the article.)
Cougars are exquisitely built killing machines capable of taking down an animal seven times their size. But this strength can’t be fully appreciated unless witnessed.
A 2001video taken in New Mexico shows a 70-kilogram (150-pound) cougar tackling a 120-kilogrom (265-pound) mule deer.
The strength of the cougar as it takes down this deer is incredible. Even being kicked repeatedly in the head by sharp hooves does not persuade the cat to let go. And when its initial attempts to kill the deer don’t work, the cougar employs a new strategy.
Don’t forget to watch the tip of the cougar’s tail.
Click the link below to listen to Jo-Ann Roberts interview Paula on CBC Radio All Points West on Sept. 12, 2013, a few days after a cougar attacked a woman on Flores Island.
Stalking the cougar We meet the Vancouver Island woman whose curiousity about the ferocious cat has resulted in a brand new book.
Writing a book is an intense, challenging and rewarding process. But if you’re working on a big project and the deadline is looming, the intense and challenging aspect can be overwhelming.
That’s how I felt last fall as I struggled to finish The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous. I had so much fascinating information! How could I possibly condense it into suitable manuscript length by March 31?
Then I read an article about accomplishing goals in the Mayo Clinic newsletter. The three main points were:
1. Clarity of focus. The best never lose sight of the goal. The event is circled on the calendar. As the countdown begins, all activities are directed toward that date.
2. Tunnel vision. This means having the courage not to accept an engagement or even respond to an email that doesn’t advance the goal.
3. Intense commitment. Distractions must be eliminated. That includes cutting back on nonessential obligations. It also means having the discipline to walk away from people who are negative and unsupportive.
I printed those guidelines out and put them on my desk where I would see them every day. In order to accomplish what I needed to do within the time available, I created monthly, weekly and daily goals. It might sound scary, but it kept me on track!
Taking my commitment one step further, I set up my laptop in an upstairs bedroom. That way I wasn’t distracted by Rick, the dog or the ringing of the phone. And I didn’t have access to the internet and email unless I used my PC downstairs. It’s amazing how much time that saved!
Some decisions were difficult. I limited get togethers with friends and, even though Bailey got a walk every day, there weren’t as many of the long, off leash romps on the beach that we both enjoy. Of course, none of this would have been possible without an understanding and supportive partner.
A cougar focuses on its prey with intense concentration, never shifting its gaze even when circling around or changing position.
Cougars are known for their intense focus so every day I told myself to “focus like a cougar.” I often asked myself, “Does this have anything to do with cougars?” If the answer was no, I made a note to deal with it after I sent the manuscript in.
And yes! I made my deadline, right on March 31. The Cougar will be in stores near the end of Sept.
Will I use the Mayo Clinic guidelines again? You bet! They’re excellent strategies for finishing a book, article or thesis. Or whatever else your goal is, be it training for a marathon, losing ten pounds in two months or becoming a millionaire.
