B.C. animal stories that lightened our mood in 2021

In a year shadowed by the ongoing pandemicand extreme natural disasters, it's been increasingly hard to findlight-hearted headlines.

But in 2021, animals helped on that front with stories that put a smile on our facesduring a hard year.

Here's a roundup of the moments this year when animals made headlines and lightened our mood:

B.C. farmer grabs lynx by scruff of neck, scolds it for killing chickens

We start off with something completely out of left field involvinga northern B.C. farmer who found a lynx in his chicken coop in February.

Instead of yelling at the wild animal, Chris Paulson grabbed the lynx by the scruff of its neck, scooped it from the coop and gave it a gentle scolding.

"He just looked ...a bit like [a kid] with its hand in the chocolate chip bag," Paulson told CBC News from his home near Decker Lake, west of Prince George.

"So I kind of gave hima little lecture and and then told himhe shouldn't come back."

WATCH | Farmer Chris Paulson carries lynx back to the coop to survey the damage:

Northern farmer holds and scolds lynx who killed his chickens

4 years ago

Duration 0:45

Northern BC farmer Chris Paulson holds a lynx by the scruff of the neck 'like a house cat' as he gently scolds the predator for killing chickens in his coop.

Bear licks Quesnel woman on the hand

Speaking of unexpected animal encounters, a Quesnel, B.C. woman had the surprise of her life when she was sitting on her porch during a November evening and looked up to see a bear right in front of her.

"It came right up to me, right in front of me. And then it came around the right side and literally licked my hand," Melanie Porter said.

When Porter pulled her arm back, she said the bear was startled and and went on its hind legs. At that moment, she was able to take a video of the bear just inches away from her.

"I was like, 'nobody's going to believe this.'So I had to take a picture."

WATCH | A bear approaches and licks a woman on the hand in Quesnel, B.C.:

A bear approaches and licks a woman in Quesnel, B.C.

3 years ago

Duration 0:39

When the bear went up on its hind legs, Melanie Porter, who already had her phone out, snapped a picture and video of the bear just inches away from her.

Red-nose rage: Aggressive deer keep attacking this Rudolph decoration

Talk about animals acting weirdlyayoung male deertargeted aRudolph-themed decoration in Fort Nelson, B.C., this holiday season head-butting and stomping the living daylights out of what he thinks is a rival buck competing for the attention of female deer.

"Every year a buck in the area attacks him or hits and knocks him over and breaks him," said Arlene Chmelyk, who livesin the northern B.C. city about 160 kilometres south of the Yukon border.

The decoration is actually a 3D archery target thatreplicatesthe size and shape of a white-tailed deer. Chmelyk'sfamily first put it up as a decoration fiveyears ago.

WATCH | Rudolph stalked and attacked by rival buck:

Deer attacks Rudolph decoration in Fort Nelson, B.C.

3 years ago

Duration 0:43

Arlene Chmelyk came home to find her Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer decoration trampled on the ground. She checked her security camera and discovered the culprit was a real-life deer taking down a perceived challenger.

Right place at the right time: Man rescues elk from B.C. mountain avalanche

In a story of pure coincidence, a lucky elk was saved by a B.C. man who happened to see the animal become buried in an avalanche and helped to dig it out.

"It was looking at me, I could see its nose moving. It couldn't move, it was in that snow like concrete," Jesse Dahlbergsaid.

"It was alive and I wanted to save it."

Dahlberg started digging with his hands and managed to free the animal's hindquarters. Within about 15 minutes, enough snow was cleared that he gave it a shove, and it stumbled out of the snow.

Killer whales spotted in Vancouver's Coal Harbour a sign of return to balanced ecosystem, expert says

It's always a treat when wild animals, such as killer whales,pay us a visit close to our shores. That's what Robert Johnson saw at Vancouver's seaplane terminal in Coal Harbour back in October, as two orca whales breachedthe surface right next to the terminal pier.

"It's surreal to see that kind of amazing majesty. That was the largest creature I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe things like that live. It's crazy," he said.

WATCH | Whale sightings on the rise in waters off Vancouver:

Whale sightings increase near Vancouvers shores

3 years ago

Duration 2:02

Whales have been increasingly spotted close to Vancouver's shore in recent weeks and experts say it could be a sign of a more balanced ecosystem due to more seals and sea lions appearing in the region.

Cherished horse, pregnant cow airlifted to safety from flooded Nicola River farms

While much of the latter part of the year'scoverage involved the devastating flooding in many parts of the province many of which included heartbreaking stories of animals there were some amazing instancesof animal rescues.

This one involves a cherished horse and pregnant cow that were rescued from flooded farms on the Nicola River west of Kamloops, B.C., using a helicopter, a specialized livestock harness and a whole lot of ingenuity.

Kim Cardinal said her horsebegan acting spooked and almost "dancing" as the waters rose. It alerted her to the danger and they got out just in time.

"The horse Winter saved my life. I just couldn't bear the thought of him there, dying after that," Cardinal said.

WATCH | Winter the horse is airlifted to safety:

Horse lifted to safety from flooded farm near Spences Bridge, B.C.

3 years ago

Duration 0:28

A special sling designed to carry large animals was sent to the Kamloops area last week to help rescue farm animals trapped by rising waters.

A bobcat was frozen to train tracks in B.C. It was rescued 30 minutes before a train sped by

Another amazing rescue story happened in February, when Cody Reid and his colleagues found a bobcat frozen to train tracks in southeastern B.C.

Reid, a train conductor,believes the bobcat plucked a duck from the nearby river and dragged it up to the tracks for itsmorning feast. But as the bobcat was likely wet and the weather so cold, it found itself trapped.

Within an hour, Reid and his colleagues freed the animal just in time, since a train sped through about 30 minutes after the bobcat left.

WATCH | Train crews frees a bobcat frozen to train tracks:

Train crew frees a bobcat frozen to the tracks

4 years ago

Duration 0:12

While the bobcat appeared cute, they soon found out it was also feisty as it growled and lunged at them while they tried to free it.

Why some pet owners are taking their felines out on the cat walk

Not all animal stories are of those that are wild. Many cat owners are opting to walk their pets, as what may be part of a growing trend.

Cat owners are seeking ways to indulge their pets' primal instincts with exposure to the outdoors, while not letting them roam free where they may endanger themselves or the wildlife they prey on. To that end, leashed walks are a solution some embrace.

"He loves to watch the birds, he loves to watch the squirrels," said Hayley Vendiola of her catReinhardt's outdoor escapades. "He does get a chance to sort of get those hunting instincts out, but without us having to worry about him actually killing anything."

WATCH | Cat walkersstroll through Minoru Park:

Leashed cat walks appear to be a growing trend

3 years ago

Duration 0:36

Hayley Vendiola walks her cats Reinhardt and Percy with her parents.