A cougar that wandered into Rocky Mountain House on Friday morning was shot as a safety precaution.
Rocky Mountain House RCMP said they got a call about 4:20 a.m. that a cougar was walking down the town’s main street near an elementary school.
The cougar was quickly located but it took refuge in a tree near École Rocky Elementary School.
“Given the concern for public safety and that the cougar was near an elementary school where young children would be in attendance this morning, the police consulted with a Government of Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer on how best to deal with the situation,” said RCMP in a news release.
“The safety concerns presented by the cougar’s presence in the town was an important factor in determining that shooting it was a viable course of action and that this was the recommendation provided to the police by Alberta Fish and Wildlife.”
The cougar was taken down with a single shot by police. No one was injured in this incident.