A cougar that's been spotted in Turner Valley over the past few months has been put down by Alberta Fish and Wildlife.

On Sunday, February 4, officials made the decision to kill the cougar after it has displayed what they classified as "worrying behaviour."

Fish and Wildlife Communications Advisor Brendan Cox, said in a statement, public safety is the first priority for Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers.

"Officers received multiple calls that a cougar was walking in and out of people's yards. It is concerning behaviour for a cougar to enter a residential area in the middle of the day as they typically shy away from humans and stay away from populated areas, particularly in the daytime. Cougar sightings are relatively low in number as they are elusive and they tend to flee the area quickly when they know a human is nearby, but that was not the case with this cougar."

Cox says officers are confident the cougar is the same one that killed a dog on back on Thursday, January 18 near the Turner Valley Golf Course.

After learning of the daytime sightings, officers repsonded to the area following tracks through several yards tracking the cougar to the Sheep River.

According to Cox the cougar did not display usual behaviour when confronted.

"The cougar did not attempt to flee or climb a tree, which would be natural behaviour for a healthy cougar. Instead, it watched the officer approach within 15 metres. The officer then put the cougar down to ensure it did not return to the residential area, where it could come into conflict with people or their pets."

To learn how to prevent conflict with cougars click here.

 

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