Conservation officials say a cougar believed to have attacked a small dog in Port Alberni, BC, was shot dead Thursday.
The attack took place along Timberlane Road on Wednesday evening, and conservation officers went out with a trail dog on Thursday morning looking for the animal.
“With the warm weather and the thick bush, unfortunately the dogs lost their sense of smell,” said Scott Norris, acting inspector for the British Columbia Conservation Service.
“But while we were still in the area we had some new sightings,” he said. “Audience called RAPP line”.
Norris says a cougar matching the description of Wednesday’s incident was seen crossing a road near where conservation agents were already.
“Officers were able to assist and raised the cougar to a tree,” Norris said.
“The cougar seemed to be injured at the time,” he said. “He has been sacrificed.”
The conservation officer says the next step is for the cougar to be examined by a provincial veterinarian at an autopsy.
Other conservationists were still in the area on Friday with cameras and a trap installed, although Norris says he is “pretty sure” that the right cougar was located, as it matches the description given to them. and was found in the area.
No other sightings of cougars were reported on Friday morning.
“We will examine and see if there is any reason why the cougar acted in this way,” he said.
Norris says young cougars who struggle to learn to hunt sometimes encounter wild cats and other small prey in urban areas.
“It’s easier for them to get there,” he said. “And that often puts them in conflict with people and in this case that’s what happened.”
“We had a dog in an urban area, the owner intervened and was injured in the process,” Norris said.
“I CAN DO IT TWICE”
Mark Payne says he was letting his dog out around 9pm when a cougar ambushed his Boston terrier, Alaska.
“When I looked up, I saw that leg stretched straight out from under those bushes and I said, ‘Alaska, what the hell?’ So I get up and all of a sudden the cat is dumped in Alaska, “he told CTV News on Friday.
Payne says he thought the cougar was initially a big domestic cat, but then he realized what was going on.
“[Alaska’s] his belly was looking up and his cat was biting his head, “he said.
“I realize what’s going on, so I hit him twice on the ribs and then I let go of Alaska,” Payne said.
The Port Alberni man says the cougar got up on its hind legs and turned its front legs before fleeing.
Payne says he only suffered small scratches on the back of his calf. Alaska, however, did worse.
“When we got it we put it in the hood of the car right away and started doing first aid, and all we had was gauze and duct tape,” he said. “It was crazy, it could have been so much worse.”
Payne describes the whole meeting as “quite intense.”
“It’s amazing what humanity will do to protect those they love, isn’t it?” He said.
Norris says intervening in these attacks can save the animals and people involved, though he notes that it puts people at risk.
“It’s a human instinct to rush, it often works, but it also puts that person in danger,” he said.
“Being aggressive and dominant with a cougar is very important,” Norris added.
“Often just that dominance, that running, yelling and yelling at a cougar will break their focus on what they’re doing and they’ll let go and go.”
PREVENT ATTACKS ON PETS
Norris says pet owners should be aware of their surroundings, especially in rural areas.
“In some of these incidents, people have let their dogs out at night to pee, and a cougar is in the bushes and throws itself on their dog,” he said.
He recommends turning on the outside lights, looking around, and watching for pets in case they act strangely because it may be a sign that they have been detected by the sounds or smells of a nearby predator.
Norris also calls for people to avoid feeding feral cats, as feral cats can draw the attention of cougars to communities.
More information and safety tips on cougars can be found on the BC Conservation Officers Service website, Norris says.