CALGARY — Wildlife officers shot and killed a cougar Thursday that wandered into south Calgary.
Brendan Cox, an Alberta government spokesman, said officers were checking reports of a second big cat in the area.
“One cougar has been destroyed by officers,” he said. “The other one, we had reported sightings of it but officers haven’t confirmed those sightings yet.
“We are not sure 100 per cent if there is a second cougar.”
Cox said wildlife officers had hoped to tranquilize and trap the cougar that was laying in tall grass near a hospital.
But he said the cats can become agitated if you get them with a tranquilizer dart and could run off.
Cougar sightings in Alberta have become more frequent in recent years as the number of big cats has increased along with the number of deer and elk.
The province says conflicts between people and cougars, which can weigh between 40 and 90 kg., are rare. (CHQR, The Canadian Press)