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Conservation officers in Penticton euthanized a cougar on Sunday after the animal reportedly mauled a pet dog and killed a house cat.
According to conservation officer Clayton Debruin, reports came in on Saturday afternoon of a dog walker who encountered a "juvenile-looking" cougar on a trail off of Evergreen Drive.
The incident began when the animal started swatting at the individual’s pet dog and tried to leave with it. The pet owner was able to intervene and get the cougar to release its grip on the dog before heading back to their vehicle.
While travelling back, the pet owner told officers the cougar had followed them upwards of one kilometer. The dog was then taken to a nearby veterinary clinic and is expected to recover.
Debruin says that officers immediately attended to the location and began to survey other trail users, none of whom reported seeing the cougar.
“We also walked the trail and were unable to locate the animal,” said Debruin.
The following day, sightings of a similar cougar were reported within a townhome complex in the west Green Avenue area of the city.
Upon arrival, officers were able to quickly locate the animal, which was hiding under an RV trailer with the remains of a house cat.
“At that time we were able to assess that the cougar was habituated because of the number of risks it would have taken to end up in the location that it did,” said Debruin.
“It was likely that [the cougar] would continue to present a risk to public safety and obviously pets, so we made the decision to euthanize [it].”
A cougar sighting is not uncommon during the winter months according to Debruin, in fact, he says conservation receives an increase in cougar sightings and activity every year between the months of December and February.
“When the snowpack drives the deer population down, the cougars follow them,” he said.
“When people are hiking or walking on the fringes of our community, they should be aware that they are more likely to see a cougar, especially in an area where there are large congregations of deer.”
Debruin’s advice to pet owners who are hitting the trails is to keep animals on a leash. If you do come across one of the large cats pick up your pet, assume an assertive stance, make lots of noise, look as big as possible and walk to the nearest safe area while keeping a visual of the cougar at all times.
The BC Conservation Office Service asks that any wildlife encounters be reported to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
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