I’m assuming it’s okay to use this photo taken by Janice Hayward, who glimpsed this young cougar as it came up the road where I live. Luckily she was in her truck as she took the picture and a video which she then posted on facebook. It’s because of her posting, that I feel it is now in the public domain and she won’t mind if I use it, while giving her credit for the photo.
I live near the end of this road on the right where the squared off hedge is so nicely clipped, thanks to our friend Pat.
I’ve come from the greenways that lead here and there,
I often see deer and, yes, sometimes a bear,
But mostly I like being near to a house,
Where stray cats are out at night chasing a mouse.
I like to eat meat, please, no salads for me,
The unaware rabbit or squirrel pays a fee.
I’m sorry to pick up a puppy or cat,
But if I can’t find one, I’ll settle for rat.
I’m stealthy and beautiful in my fur coat,
I lick it and preen if I’ve time to devote
To how I might look if Miss Kitty appears,
A fine looking cougar, she’ll give me three cheers.
It’s sad that I’m lonely and can’t find a mate,
I’d love to find Kitty and ask for a date,
I know when I find her, I promise you now,
She’s going to be pretty, a real “Cat’s Meow.”

April 23, 2026 at 12:52 am
Wow! Vancouver Island has lots of cougars but black (melanistic) ones are very rare as that’s a genetic mutation. Great poem, Anneli. Cheers.
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April 23, 2026 at 6:52 am
The cougars on Vancouver Island are the same colour as our deer. They can be easily mistaken for a deer. The Captain was glassing a hillside and thought he was looking at a deer until it moved and he thought, “Hmm … deer don’t have a long tail….”
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April 23, 2026 at 12:22 pm
The cougar in the picture looks black. Was that just the light?
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April 23, 2026 at 2:02 pm
Yes, I think it was the quality of the photo, and the light, but you’re right that they are a bit on the dark side, like our deer; not so much that tawny colour.
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April 23, 2026 at 4:02 am
Fun poem, Anneli, and I hope he finds Kitty for that date.
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April 23, 2026 at 8:14 am
And I hope that takes place up in the hills where they belong.
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April 23, 2026 at 7:01 am
A beautiful cat! Yet I would be afraid to leave a pet outside.
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April 23, 2026 at 8:13 am
Exactly. I only want Emma outside when I’m there with her. I’m sure that feeling will change when enough time has gone by and the usual spring cougar sightings calm down.
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April 23, 2026 at 8:33 am
The usual sightings? 😳
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April 23, 2026 at 11:16 am
I don’t know why it is, but in the springtime there are often cougar sightings in the most unusual urban places.
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April 23, 2026 at 11:55 am
I hope people aren’t leaving rubbish out and attracting them.
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April 23, 2026 at 7:35 am
Maybe word has gotten out about your well fed squirrels!! Squirrel Kabobs?
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April 23, 2026 at 8:16 am
Yikes! Squirrel kabobs! When I started feeding the squirrels, I also started liking Davy Crockett less, after I heard that he shot squirrels and ate them.
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April 23, 2026 at 7:38 am
All of those wild cats are gorgeous. She doesn’t even glance at the car!
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April 23, 2026 at 8:18 am
In the video this person took, you can tell the moment the cat sees the vehicle. He/she starts going back and forth across the road looking for a way to escape, finally taking off into a neighbour’s driveway (unfortunately, on our side of the road). I hope he’s gone to greener pastures/forests by now.
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April 23, 2026 at 7:44 am
Interesting
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April 23, 2026 at 8:19 am
Yes, Caleb. I agree, but I hope it gets more boring around here soon.
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April 23, 2026 at 7:49 am
Fun verse Anneli. May Mr. Cougar find his mate and dinner. 😊
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April 23, 2026 at 8:12 am
Haha. And may they not be the same gal.
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April 23, 2026 at 1:34 pm
😄
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April 23, 2026 at 9:27 am
You have beautifully expressed your thoughts. I really loved reading this!
By the way, I write poems and scribble about life’s quiet truths. Do check out my blog and subscribe if you like it.
Keep writing!
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April 23, 2026 at 11:20 am
Thank you. I like your blog.
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April 23, 2026 at 10:21 am
How exciting to have a cougar in the neighborhood, and such a witty one, too. Great fun, Anneli.
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April 23, 2026 at 11:21 am
Haha. Thanks, Jet.
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April 23, 2026 at 12:54 pm
Anneli, thank you for sharing Janice’s photo. I’ve never witnessed a cougar in the wild, and my future travels will keep me safe from their roaming presence. Your poetry shares a meaningful presence about life in the wild.
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April 23, 2026 at 1:59 pm
We need to be aware that sometimes our paths cross with wildlife. Most times it’s best to keep our distance and “live and let live.”
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April 23, 2026 at 8:30 pm
That is a fun and clever poem. Living near cougars must be a little scary, but they are beautiful animals. I’ve never seen them in the wild, but at zoos.
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April 23, 2026 at 9:02 pm
Thanks, Thomas. Most people never see a cougar in the wild. I didn’t see this one but I saw one years ago. It was hanging around the edges of a lake where the Captain and I were trout fishing. I had a bit of a rubber neck as we pulled our canoe back up the hill to the truck at the end of our fishing efforts.
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April 24, 2026 at 9:42 am
Great poem and photo, Anneli. Wouldn’t want to be walking and meet up with this cougar.
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April 24, 2026 at 8:16 pm
No, me either. This one would probably run away. It looks like it might be a juvenile. But the full grown ones are brazen if they catch you alone, and they are powerful animals.
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April 24, 2026 at 6:43 pm
Are they quite common? A bit startling to see one I would think. I like your poem.
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April 24, 2026 at 8:14 pm
Our hills have a lot of them, but they don’t often come down close to town. Thanks, Belinda.
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