With at least one cougar visiting Vashon since summer and a black bear reported on the island recently, a wildlife expert is slated to speak Thursday evening and provide information on the large animals, their behavior and how to avoid conflicts with both.

Brian Kertson, a carnivore research scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will deliver the presentation, “From Backyards to Mountaintops: Large Carnivore Ecology and Behavior in Western Washington’s Diverse Landscapes.” Kertson holds a doctorate in wildlife science from the University of Washington and has 17 years of research experience working with large carnivores, mostly focused on cougar ecology, behavior and management. Currently, his research is centered on whether cougar population characteristics influence the animals’ interactions with people along the western slope of the Cascades. He is speaking on the island at the request of Bianca Perla, who heads the Vashon Nature Center. Perla said she began talking with Kertson when the cougar sightings started this summer and the center had to educate people about the large cats — and found him to be extremely helpful and enthusiastic about his work.

“I liked his depth of knowledge and outlook. He has a great background with large carnivores in our area and will be a good resource … for all types of questions that people have,” she said. “He is so passionate about what he does. He was born to do what he is doing.”

In recent weeks, Perla said that the center has continued to receive reports about cougar sightings in all areas of the island and has not been able to determine if there is only one cougar or two; Vashon Nature Center staff are compiling the sightings in part to determine that answer — and she wants to keep hearing from people when they spot the animal.

“I would encourage people to share their sightings with us so we can figure this out,” she said.

The animals can travel 15 miles in a night, so the cougar could easily be in one area in the evening and a much different area of the island by morning. People should be cognizant of this fact, she added.

“We should expect it be anywhere, the south end as well,” she said.

Additionally, the center has received reports of livestock kills that may be the result of the cougar, including two last week on Maury Island. In a Facebook post last Friday, Perla said those kills have been reported to WDFW and that she expects to hear a determination from experts this week about them.

When cougar reports began to stream in last summer, many islanders expressed unease about it being on the island. Perla said she understands that the presence of the large predator struck a deep chord within many people and that she was impressed with how island residents responded.

“Most were curious — and fearful — but able to handle their fear and say, ‘Let me learn, and then I will decide what I think,'” she said. “As they learn more, that brings the fear factor down — it gives tools to live in a more relaxed way.”

She noted, though, that people’s fear is not entirely gone, and there are many questions about how long the animal will remain on Vashon and how it will behave.

“No one knows,” she added. “It depends on our actions and the cougar’s decisions.”

She stressed that regardless of how people feel about the cougar being here, Kertson’s presentation will be helpful and provide a chance for islanders to ask questions and share their experiences.

“There will be something for everyone at the talk. Whether you like the cougar here or not, they are truly magical animals,” she said.

Late last week, Kertson was in the field and not available for an interview before his presentation. However, a past newsletter from the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences included a profile of Kertson and his work, some of which may be illuminating for island residents. According to the article, for his dissertation, Kertson investigated cougar behavior and ecology in wildland-urban environments in Washington, such as in east King County and southeast Snohomish County. He studied how much time the animals spend in residential areas, how often interactions with people take place and how the landscape and other factors influence the cougars’ behavior.

The article noted his findings were rather surprising, “even a bit hair-raising,” regarding human-cougar proximity.

“What [my research] showed was that cougars spend a lot more time in residential areas than we knew — a little more than 17 percent of their time,” Kertson was quoted as saying. “Cats use these residential portions of the landscape just like they do wildlands, including hunting for deer and elk in greenbelts and other forested habitats.”

However, despite the animals’ fairly common presence, he found that people encountered the animals only once every 629 days. Previous cougar research had been centered in wild environments, so this information was new. But the article states people should not be alarmed, although the borders of cougar habitat weren’t as defined as previously thought.

“Unbeknownst to many of us, we share our neighborhood greenbelts, forests and trails with one of America’s foremost predators — and we’d never known it,” Kertson said in the piece.

In addition to grappling with the visiting cougar, islanders also contend with the occasional bear, including one reported on the island in recent weeks. One sighting came Oct. 11, when a person walking near Fern Cove on the new portion of the Shinglemill trail briefly encountered a bear. After that, Perla said, someone sent her a photo of bear scat in the Needle Creek area, confirming another ursine visitor.

Despite the presence of the animals, it is not clear yet whether the island is seeing more cougars and bears than it used to. It’s possible the number is higher, she said, particularly as the animals become crowded out of the Kitsap Peninsula. It’s also possible Facebook has played a role, as it has changed the way people communicate when they spot the animals.

Regardless, Perla said, this experience with the cougar has taught her a great deal, and she recalled a day she tracked the animal for a mile down the beach. Its tracks were perfect in the sand, she said, and went over and underneath obstacles with no deviation.

“It was a wonderful experience,” she said. “It made his power and athleticism and playfulness clear. That made a big impression on me.”

She added that everyone is learning in this process, including herself.

“I have learned a lot about what these animals bring out in us. I have been wrestling with my own fear and wanting this cougar to be acting right,” she continued with a laugh. “It’s been a great learning experience. I feel more prepared for the next one.”

Brian Kertson will speak from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Penny Farcy Building at 10019 S.W. Bank Road. The event is free.