Keep your friends close and your pets closer.

That’s the advice from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service after a spate of cougar sightings in North Vancouver.

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Officers were called to the trail linking Loutet Park to Keith Road just before noon on Wednesday when a woman and her daughter had a startling encounter.

“They were walking their dog on the trail when a cougar came out and the dog and the cougar growled at each other,” said Todd Hunter, conservation officer.

While hackles may have been raised, the incident was probably not as dangerous as it may have looked, Hunter said.

“In my opinion that’s not aggressive or threatening behaviour,” he said. “There’s no information that we have so far that (a cougar) has been prowling, preying on domestic animals, and going after people. That’s threatening.”

Still, Hunter is advising caution. The hot, dry weather we’re experiencing makes it harder for cougars to track their natural prey as scents dissipate quickly.

“They’re stressed. They can’t find their prey easily,” he said. “They’re going to be looking for things that are easy prey. If you leave your dog or cat astray, that’s when we have stuff go down.”

In conditions like this, cougars like to hang out near trails where their prey, which could be deer, rabbits, raccoons or coyotes, are more likely to be spotted. That also means they’re more likely to have encounters with two-leggeds. For trail runners, it’s better to go with buddies, Hunter said.

“You could trigger an attack. Be aware of that. Its natural instinct is to attack moving prey,” he said.

In the unlikely case you are attacked, be prepared to fight like hell, Hunter said.

“Protect your head, neck and spine. Kick, punch, scream and fight,” he said.

Bear spray and walking sticks have proven to be effective defensive weapons when it comes to cougars.

Signs warning of cougar sightings have also been posted in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve.