Squamish RCMP and Conservation officers destroyed a cougar on Sunday in Brackendale. It was suspected that the cougar had been living under a nearby house and eating pets, the RCMP said in a media release.
Police had been previously received reports of a young but fully grown female cougar in Brackendale that had been killing animals in the area. When Police and Conservation officers arrived, the cougar sat and stared at the officers with no fear and no intention to move.
Conservation officers indicated that this behaviour was a risk to the community as the cougar had established its location and food source, with complete disregard for humans being present or not.
The cougar approached the officers while they were trying to clean up one of the dead animals, and unfortunately had to be euthanised, the police said.
Last year, there were reports of cats being preyed upon by a cougar on Axen Road in Brackendale. Officials believed at that time it was the same cougar that had been previously sighted in the Garibaldi Highlands. The conservation officer says cougars can cover a lot of ground and it is not unusual for cougars to be reported in so many daytime sightings.
To report wildlife encounters call 1-877-952-7277.
