At first, Nicole Lesliesa国际传媒檚 husband thought it was a stray cat checking things out in their east Maple Ridge backyard.

Only when it hopped up on the back fence of their Albion home Sunday did he realize it was a bit bigger than a house cat.

Nicole didnsa国际传媒檛 waste any time and grabbed her camera and got a picture of it standing on the top of the fence.

Her husband got some cellphone video, too, of some heart-warming seconds of the mother cat carefully walking on top of the fence, followed by a kitten just moments later.

sa国际传媒淚 grabbed my camera and ran to the front porch and caught it just in time there. She paused and was quite curious about me and the camera. She calmly turned around and hopped down after that.sa国际传媒�

Her neighbours have a critter cam and have said bobcats are regular visitors. But until Sunday, Nicole had never seen them.

Nicole, who lives on Kimola Drive, has seen many wildlife visitors this year, including a crane, beaver, bear, raccoons and a salamander.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e had a crane, right in the yard, in the grass. Itsa国际传媒檚 because of a pond behind us. We get all kinds of stuff. Itsa国际传媒檚 pretty neat to see out there.sa国际传媒�

She said there seems to be lots of small animals in the area as a food source.

sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e very well fed. They look super healthy. You donsa国际传媒檛 think theysa国际传媒檙e going to be in such a residential area, but there sure seems to be a lot out there.sa国际传媒�

She initially put the photos on to the Albion Neighbours Facebook group, drawing comments of sa国际传媒淏eautiful. Amazing picture,sa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒淪o cool.sa国际传媒�

Conservation officer Todd Hunter said theresa国际传媒檚 a healthy population of bobcats in Metro Vancouver. The bobcats will hunt rabbits, which hide in blackberry bushes, as well as squirrels, rats and mice.

sa国际传媒淚n Metro Vancouver, wesa国际传媒檝e received, in the last two years, more call volumes come in with sightings of bobcats around homes.sa国际传媒�

Hunter cautioned people not to feed wildlife of any kind.

He asked people to be careful to not leave any type of food outdoors that can attract rats or mice or racoons, which in turn can attract predators, such as bobcats, cougars or bears.

People have to do everything they can to remove any kind of food outside their homes and make sure they donsa国际传媒檛 leave their small dogs or cats outside.

sa国际传媒淭he cougars, theysa国际传媒檙e preying on the raccoons more.sa国际传媒�

Two reports have come in during October and November of cougars killing racoons from North Vancouver to Maple Ridge.

sa国际传媒淚f yousa国际传媒檝e got animals coming to your property because of food sa国际传媒� you can bring in other animals.sa国际传媒�

Bears can also hunt deer.

sa国际传媒淭hose bears have been noted to prey on deer, right in peoplesa国际传媒檚 yards.sa国际传媒�

There have been several reports of that happening in North Vancouver and in the Belcarra and Anmore areas of Port Moody.

sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e [bears] omnivoires, theysa国际传媒檒l eat anything. Theysa国际传媒檙e known to take down game and feed off them, and they will. Thatsa国际传媒檚 why theysa国际传媒檙e dangerous. Theysa国际传媒檙e fast. They may be fat, but theysa国际传媒檙e fast.sa国际传媒�

Hunter said people should respect wildlife and donsa国际传媒檛 get too close.

sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 what keeps them wild. Enjoy them at a distance and give them their space.sa国际传媒�

Last month, a reader sent in a photo of a calmly watching hikers pass by on a trail in UBC Research Forest.