An injured cougar that had been spotted in residential and commercial neighbourhoods in Port Alberni for the past few weeks has been euthanized.
Port Alberni RCMP and a B.C. Conservation Service officer cornered the cougar in a yard in the Fourth Avenue and Dunbar Street area on Sunday, Oct. 12, immobilized it and "humanely dispatched" it, a B.C. Conservation spokesperson said in an e-mail to the Alberni Valley News.
"Physical assessment of the animal found that it had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to a leg and into the chest," the spokesperson said. The cougar had a "badly broken" leg and in photos taken by neighbours looks emaciated. The animal was put down at the site.
The cougar had been spotted underneath the Port Alberni Port Authority office building at Fisherman's Harbour for several days, to the consternation of employees.
The conservation spokesperson said B.C. COS had received reports "over several weeks of a cougar in town with a limp," but were unable to locate and observe the animal until last Sunday. Now they are asking the public for information on who is responsible for injuring the cougar without reporting it.
"These actions...put the community at risk, and information regarding who is responsible will help the COS hold those parties accountable," the conservation spokesperson said.
Hunting cougar is legal in British Columbia: on Vancouver Island cougar season is from Sept. 10 to March 31, and April 1 to June 15. A species licence is required in addition to a regular hunting licence and there are strict conditions regarding hunting near built-up areas. Not reporting an injury to an animal is illegal according to provincial hunting regulations.
The Fur-Bearers non-profit organization is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the identification and conviction of the person responsible for injuring the cougar and not reporting the incident. "This case may include potential violations of the BC Wildlife Act and that's why we're issuing this reward," said Lesley Fox, executive director of the Fur-Bearers and a Port Alberni resident.
Anyone who saw or heard anything that could shed light on the cougar's shooting is asked to call the Report all Polluters and Poachers (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277.
