![\"Ollie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/41188341_web1_250121ollieseaotter2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGreater Victoria\u2019s wild neighbours and domesticated furry friends captured the hearts and minds of readers throughout 2025.<\/p>\n
From a so-called \u201cserial killer\u201d lurking in the Salish Sea to an unexpected apex predator showdown, and even a winged \u2018Freddy Krueger\u2019 terrorizing Victoria\u2019s skies, the year delivered no shortage of jaw-dropping moments.<\/p>\n
Balancing out the chaos were plenty of heartwarming scenes, including a fat cat reigning as top dog in Metchosin, a motorcyclist and his sidecar canine co-pilot turning heads downtown, and numerous breathtaking killer whale encounters in Victoria\u2019s Inner Harbour.<\/p>\n
As a wild and wonderful year comes to an end, here\u2019s a selection of some of the most memorable animal stories from 2025.<\/p>\n
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Ollie the sea otter can most often be found at Race Rocks ecological reserve. (Courtesy of Mollie Cameron)<\/p>\n
1. Death on the Strait: Sooke sea otter exposed as \u2018Salish Sea serial killer\u2019<\/a> \u2013 Jan. 22<\/p>\n He might look cute, but don\u2019t be fooled by his round, plush face and those curious eyes \u2013 this Vancouver Island sea otter has a dark secret \u2013 many dark secrets.<\/p>\n Known to the whale-watching community and his fans as \u2018Ollie\u2019, the infamous 13-year-old sea otter has been living out his life among the kelp at Race Rocks ecological reserve for over a decade.<\/p>\n Initially nicknamed the \u2018lonely sea otter\u2019 because of his solitary lifestyle, in more recent years, he has had a rather more sinister title bestowed upon him: the \u2018Salish Sea Serial Killer.\u2019<\/p>\n Thought to be responsible for the deaths of at least 20 river otters, Ollie has earned himself quite the bloodthirsty reputation.<\/p>\n \u201cUsually when river otters are seen in the area, they\u2019re not seen again,\u201d said Mollie Cameron from Wild Wise.<\/p>\n And Ollie doesn\u2019t stop at \u201cottercide,\u201d his river otter victims also show visible signs of sexual trauma.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been seen doing nefarious things with them for days on end after they\u2019ve died,\u201d said Cameron.<\/p>\n His behaviour could be attributed to his \u2018lonely\u2019 lifestyle, explains Cameron, as he is one of only a handful of sea otters recorded this far east in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.<\/p>\n \u201cThe theory is that there\u2019s no females around,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd so he\u2019s just taking his sexual frustration out on the river otters, as that\u2019s kind of his only outlet, supposedly.\u201d<\/p>\n But the behaviour is not unique to Ollie. A lack of females in the vicinity was blamed for a series of attacks on juvenile harbour seals in the early \u201800s in California. While in Sooke, another sea otter was seen taking his frustrations out on other wildlife, slaying ducks in the process.<\/p>\n Nicknamed \u2018Whiffin\u2019, Ollie\u2019s neighbour also hit the headlines in 2025 when he was photographed attempting to ride tandem with a surfer at Whiffin Spit.<\/p>\n Fairmont Empress Hotel gardener Alex Buck says resident yellow-bellied marmot Roger is the unofficial boss of his team. (Courtesy of Alex Buck)<\/p>\n 2. Empress and the beast: Victoria hotel\u2019s turf war with marmot Roger<\/a> \u2013 June 5<\/p>\n From one reign of terror to another, this time back on dry land, where another famous Victoria critter has earned himself quite the reputation.<\/p>\n For 17 years, the Fairmont Empress Hotel grounds team and their plants have been at the mercy of a yellow-bellied marmot called Roger.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s definitely the boss,\u201d says Alex Buck, who has worked at the hotel for 34 years, 12 years as part of the grounds team. \u201cHe\u2019s named after one of the old bosses of the Fairmont \u2013 so it suits him.\u201d<\/p>\n Not native to the Island, local legend says Roger hitched a ride from Alberta on board an RV. The rock chuck was first spotted in the grounds of the Inner Harbour hotel in 2008, making his home among the Centennial Garden\u2019s rockery.<\/p>\n It\u2019s here he feasts on a buffet of the finest flora in the city, often uprooting the hard work of Buck and his colleagues.<\/p>\n But the Empress gardeners don\u2019t get mad, they get \u201cgentle.\u201d<\/p>\n To combat the marmot\u2019s ferocious appetite, Buck says the gardeners try to work in harmony with Roger, creating a garden satisfying for all appetites \u2013 both a taste and visual sensation.<\/p>\n Now in his twilight years at the grand old age of 17 (at least) \u2013 yellow-bellied marmots can live up to 15 years in the wild \u2013 Buck hopes Roger will still be around to celebrate his 20th anniversary at the hotel in 2028.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see him a little less every year,\u201d says Buck. \u201cBut he\u2019s an old bachelor on his own, doing his own thing. I think it\u2019s just easy for him, he knows the routine now, and he\u2019s got a little lazier.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s had the perfect life.\u201d<\/p>\n The barred owl, named after the \u201cbars\u201d running across their gray and white chest, is one of the most common owls on Vancouver Island. (James MacKenzie)<\/p>\n 3. \u2018Imagine Freddy Krueger attacking you\u2019: Victoria owl attack draws warning<\/a> \u2013 Jan. 9<\/p>\n While hotel gardeners battled with critters living underground, one Victoria resident was more concerned with those in the sky.<\/p>\n When walking through Redfern Park one winter evening, Susie Henderson was surprised when an owl swooped out of the darkness and latched onto her hair. \u201cI thought maybe a raccoon had just jumped onto me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The attack was over in a flash. The owl hadn\u2019t broken her skin. Still, she had felt the bird\u2019s sharp talons.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine Freddy Krueger attacking you from behind,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Based on Henderson\u2019s description of the owl, a representative of the Surrey-based Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program said the bird was most likely a barred owl.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is typical barred owl behaviour,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ll swoop any time of year, but as we are getting close to the breeding season, they\u2019ll be more aggressive than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n Rocky Point Bird Observatory volunteer Ann Nightingale added that territorial behaviour stems from the bird\u2019s instinct to protect its young. Other times, however, owls attack people in the hopes of snagging a quick meal.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes \u2026 they mistake the movement of a ponytail or pompom as a prey item,\u201d she said. \u201cThey primarily hunt by sound, so the swishing of hair on a jacket can sound like a small animal moving.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnny Novak brings his A-game to RPBO\u2019s Scream Like A Gull contest on May 10. (Harry Corro\/Victoria News)<\/p>\n 4. Feather in his cap: Victoria man\u2019s seagull screech soars above the rest<\/a> \u2013 May 12<\/p>\n Better known for dive-bombing unsuspecting folks in pursuit of a quick snack than for leaving scars like their raptor cousins, seagulls are not everyone\u2019s favourite bird.<\/p>\n So it came as a surprise to many when Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO) kicked off Victoria Bird Week with a novel and engaging event to celebrate the often villainized bird: the first-ever Scream Like A Gull Contest.<\/p>\n A cacophony of squawks, mews and cow-cows filled Victoria\u2019s Beacon Hill Park, as the contest drew a crowd of close to 100 bird enthusiasts, all eager to witness participants unleash their inner seabird.<\/p>\n James Bay resident and Virgin Radio morning show host Johnny Novak emerged victorious in the gull-screaming showdown. Dressed in white and sporting a gull hat, Novak impressed the judges with his authentic and powerful rendition of a glaucous-winged gull call.<\/p>\n Novak credited his win to extensive research, noting that he has lived alongside a flock of glaucous-winged gulls nesting on his roof for the past three years.<\/p>\n Beyond the fun and frivolity, the contest served as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges facing bird populations.<\/p>\n RPBO education director Simone Littledale emphasized that many bird species, including several gull species, are in decline.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to get a conservation message out and hopefully get people to appreciate gulls and realize their abilities to survive and be resourceful and not just see them as trash birds,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n A cougar was caught on camera chasing down a black bear in a unnamed location on Vancouver Island. (Courtesy of Karen Grundlingh)<\/p>\n 5. Cougar vs bear: Langford locals catch apex predator showdown on film<\/a> \u2013 June 3<\/p>\n For folks, the rules are simple: if you see a cougar, don\u2019t approach it, maintain a safe distance and back away slowly \u2013 never run.<\/p>\n Black bears, however, play by a different set of rules. And for one Vancouver Island bear caught on camera, there was no messing about, they ran \u2013 and fast.<\/p>\n The wild showdown was discovered by Langford resident Karen Grundlingh when she reviewed trail camera footage set up on her four-acre plot of land in a remote area of the South Island.<\/p>\n In the video, a bear can be seen minding its business in front of a blackberry bush, when all of a sudden it makes a run for it, darting down a game trail through the bush.<\/p>\n Seconds later, a cougar appears, chasing at pace.<\/p>\n The apex predator confrontation left Sooke-based wildlife group Wild Wise \u201cspeechless,\u201d having never seen anything like it before.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes, nature shows us moments we never expect,\u201d said the group in a social media post.<\/p>\n According to a Wild Wise volunteer passionate about animal behaviour, despite appearances, the cougar was not in attack mode.<\/p>\n As the big cat can be seen coming to a stop in the bush and not pressing the chase, the volunteer believes the showdown was more of a \u201cterritorial protest\u201d rather than a hunt. Instead, they said the encounter is a classic example of \u2018fight or flight\u2019 behaviour \u2013 in both animals.<\/p>\n Longtime Victoria resident Jamie Lone and his dog, Flyin\u2019 Joe, have become a staple on Victoria\u2019s streets with their sidecar appearances around the city. (Tony Trozzo\/Victoria News)<\/p>\n 6. Sidecar-loving canine a familiar sight on Victoria streets<\/a> \u2013 May 1<\/p>\n For Jamie Lone, it started with a motorcycle, a dog, and a quiet need to heal. Six years and nearly 20,000 kilometres later, it\u2019s grown into something that brings joy to an entire community.<\/p>\n Lone, a 37-year resident of Victoria, never set out to become known as the man on the motorcycle with the dog in the sidecar. In fact, the story of Flyin\u2019 Joe began in a moment of hardship.<\/p>\n After a 32-year career in the navy, a motorcycle crash in 2014 left him with a traumatic brain injury, a new hip, and more than a year of outpatient rehab.<\/p>\n While in recovery, Joe \u2013 a Doberman, border collie, and blue heeler mix \u2013 came into his life.<\/p>\n At first, the pair simply coexisted. But Lone, still missing the road, wanted to ride again \u2013 this time with Joe. He found a motorcycle with a sidecar in Port Alberni, drove up with Joe, and brought the rig home.<\/p>\n That night, while Lone was cleaning it, Joe climbed into the sidecar and promptly fell asleep.<\/p>\n \u201cThe next morning we did two laps around the cul-de-sac,\u201d Lone said. \u201cNow we\u2019ve got about 20,000 kilometres.\u201d<\/p>\n These days, Lone and Joe can be found cruising around Victoria, from Clover Point to the Empress Hotel, a popular sight for tourists and locals.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knows when he\u2019s in the sidecar, he keeps his goggles on, and when we stop, they come off,\u201d Lone said. \u201cHe\u2019s not harmed in any way. He\u2019s pampered, well-groomed, well-loved by all.\u201d<\/p>\n For around 15 years, Sparky\/Cat has ruled the roost at Metchosin\u2019s Fire Hall. (Ben Fenlon\/Goldstream Gazette)<\/p>\n 7. Purr-fectly in charge: Meet the fire hall cat who\u2019s top dog in Metchosin<\/a> \u2013 Nov. 7<\/p>\n Sparky? Fire Cat? Miss Mew? Or simply Cat? Folks in Metchosin can\u2019t seem to agree on a name for the feline that has prowled the municipal grounds for roughly 14 years.<\/p>\n But one thing\u2019s certain \u2013 whatever his name, and no matter who you ask, he\u2019s a local legend.<\/p>\n Rescued when he was a kitten by Fire Chief Stephanie Dunlop, Cat \u2013 as he is known at the Fire Hall \u2013 quickly made himself at home.<\/p>\n \u201cHe basically took over the town from there,\u201d said Lt. Jacob Lamb, a 10-year member of Metchosin Fire. \u201cHe\u2019s top dog for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Over at the Municipal Hall, Sparky \u2013 as he is known there \u2013 has made himself equally at home.<\/p>\n \u201cSparky is the Fire Hall cat, and he is welcome to come and go as he pleases,\u201d reads a poster on the hall\u2019s front door, complete with a picture of the animal slouched on the floor. \u201cHe is very friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n At the Municipal Hall, Sparky patrols the office like he owns the place, checking on staff, dropping by the planner\u2019s office and visiting the mayor. He\u2019s even known to stray as far as the community newspaper office and the local coffee shop.<\/p>\n Some suspect, using his feline charm, he\u2019s managing to rack up four or five meals a day.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you can see by his chunkiness, he gets his full share of snacks,\u201d says deputy finance officer Laura Whitmore-Guzauskas.<\/p>\n Greg Gilks captured on video a strange phenomenon at Macaulay Point on Feb. 1. (Courtesy of Greg Gilks)<\/p>\n 8. Aliens of the deep: \u2018Evil-looking\u2019 sea creatures swarm Esquimalt waters<\/a> \u2013 Feb. 10<\/p>\n An evening stroll in Esquimalt\u2019s Macaulay Point Park took a horrifying turn for one man and his dog when they spotted \u201cevil-looking worms\u201d in the water.<\/p>\n \u201cIn every direction there were just hundreds of them,\u201d said Greg Gilks. \u201cIt was crazy \u2026 they looked like some sort of giant sea centipede.\u201d<\/p>\n Alone, under the cover of darkness and with a chill wind blowing, Gilks said it felt like he had stepped into the scene of a horror movie.<\/p>\n \u201cIt had a \u2018The Thing\u2019 vibe to it,\u201d he said, referencing the science-fiction horror film where a group of researchers in Antarctica are hunted by a parasitic alien creature.<\/p>\n Was life imitating art? Were Gilks and his dog in danger of assimilation by shape-shifting extraterrestrial sea creatures?<\/p>\n No, of course not. But while their encounter was not paranormal in nature, it was a phenomenon, said Benjamin Neal, assistant teaching professor in biology at the University of Victoria.<\/p>\n The mysterious creatures are polychaetes, most commonly known as giant pile worms, or giant clam worms, explained Neal, who thinks the species Gilks saw could be either Nereis brandti or Nereis vexillosa.<\/p>\n Buried in the sand at the bottom of the sea, the giant pile worm leads a life out of sight from humans. But once a year, triggered by the tides, lunar cycle and pheromones in the water, the worms swarm en masse, rising to the surface to reproduce.<\/p>\n It was this phenomenon Gilks \u201cmost likely\u201d witnessed in the waters of Macaulay Point in February.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re lucky to witness this interesting, beautiful thing for sure,\u201d Neal said.<\/p>\n Four orcas caused a stir Aug. 23 in Victoria\u2019s Inner Harbour when they paid a visit. (Courtesy of Jeff Mills)<\/p>\n 9. Orcas treat Victoria Inner Harbour visitors to whale of a time<\/a> \u2013 Aug. 27<\/p>\n Visits from Bigg\u2019s killer whales to Victoria\u2019s Inner Harbour and shoreline became a familiar sight throughout 2025.<\/p>\n Experts told Victoria News in March that the increase in sightings is likely tied to an abundance of \u201ceasy-picking\u201d harbour seals, which draw the predatory whales into the busy downtown waters.<\/p>\n One visit in August brought harbour traffic to a standstill and sent onlookers scrambling for their cameras.<\/p>\n Four male Bigg\u2019s killer whales cruised leisurely through the Inner Harbour as hundreds lined the shoreline, eager for a glimpse of the majestic visitors.<\/p>\n People on the water weren\u2019t left out either, as kayakers, paddleboarders and small boat passengers found themselves drifting alongside the whales, sharing the same extraordinary view.<\/p>\n A pod of 4 Bigg’s killer whales delighted visitors at Victoria’s Inner Harbour Saturday, Aug. 23. pic.twitter.com\/T8CHWNRG2T<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Fairmont](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/41188341_web1_250528rogermarmot.JPG\")
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