After a short period with no cougar sightings, additional islanders have reported seeing the animal at various locations on Maury Island.

One of most recent incidents occurred on Sunday evening, when islander Sarah Eden reported seeing the animal on the beach at the southern tip of Maury Island. She and a friend were walking their dogs on the beach near Northilla Road and spotted the animal on a bulkhead about 30 feet away. The cougar had already spotted them, she said. They moved closer to the water, while the animal kept moving along the bulkheads until it turned and walked up into the woods.

“He was not particularly interested in us,” she said, recounting the incident. “I think they will leave people alone.”

That same day a weekend resident of that neighborhood also saw the animal on a walking trail. She reported that they looked at one another for about a half a minute before the cougar moved on.

In another incident, which recently circulated widely online, a teen riding a horse in an open field near Point Robinson reportedly saw the animal in a border of the forested area about 40 feet from her. She reportedly shouted and threw her whip at it, but it did not retreat. As she turned and walked her horse toward it, the animal walked away.

As the cougar has remained on the island, residents have continued to express mixed feelings, with some saying they are pleased about its presence and hopeful it might get Vashon’s deer population in check, while others would like to see it removed.

At the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), spokesman Kim Chandler ended speculation about its removal.

“It’s not going to happen,” he said. “There is no direct public safety issue here.”

Aware that there was some public concern that the cougar did not run away from the horse and rider, he addressed typical cougar behavior. Cougars, as part of the cat family, operate with stealth and silently slink away unless they are being chased, he said. He added that they are also curious animals, and this one may have never seen a horse and rider before.

“I do not think there was an intention of this cougar attacking a horse and rider,” he said.

He added that he would encourage islanders to carry on their outdoor lives as normal.

“I would not lose any sleep over this, and I would go about my business,” he said.

Some have questioned if the island might be hosting two cougars.

Chandler said it is possible, but he doubts it, noting that cougars can quickly travel considerable distances.

For its part, the Vashon Nature Center continues to check into cougar reports and has set up cameras, in addition to its already existing wildlife cameras, to try to get more information bout the animal, including its size, the center’s Kelly Keenan said. They have spotted tracks, she added, but have learned little from those and continue to believe it is a juvenile or adult male.

Keenan asked that those who see the animal, or see signs of the animal, contact the center. In turn, center staff is sending all of the reports it gets on to WDFW.

To contact the nature center, email info@vashonnaturecenter.org.