A conservation officer shot and killed a cougar in Sooke Tuesday morning following multiple sightings, reports of dead house cats and, most recently, a threatening incident with a man walking his dog.
Scott Norris was called to the scene at approximately 8 a.m. Feb. 2 after a man reported being threatened by the animal while out walking his dog. Tracking the cat to the area around Sooke River Road and the Juan de Fuca Highway – near Edward Milne Community School and Saseenos Elementary – and with a crowd of people gathering, Norris said he determined he could not safely tranquilize the animal.
Given the number of sightings and cat killings conservation has received in the last few weeks, Norris decided to shoot and kill the cougar.
“Generally, that’s not a cougar that we want to remain in a subdivision,” Norris said, calling the incident a tragic ending. When a cougar no longer shows any fear of humans and is spotted that many times, Norris explained, something needs to be done.
He added that, if confronted by a cougar, people should never approach it or turn and run. They should contact police or conservation immediately.
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