VICTORIA – A cougar that had terrorized the Comox Valley this week, killing at least one pet cat right in front of its owner, has been destroyed.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service tracked down the large, male cat that was seen lingering about 200 metres from a mobile home park at approximately 7:25 Wednesday morning.
"The cougar was exhibiting very desensitized behaviour and was moving around openly during the day and night," the conservation service said in a statement Wednesday.
"A cougar had captured and killed a woman's pet cat right in front of her a few days earlier," the service said. "The conservation officer noted that three other domestic cat carcasses were located in the vegetated area to the east of the complainant's residence."
There had been several cougar complaints in the Comox Valley region this week, prompting officers to go searching with their dogs for the big cat, the service said.
"This morning the cougar was observed very close to where children stage and wait to catch a school bus," the service said.
"An officer and a houndsman attended to the complainant's residence this morning and located a healthy male cougar… the cougar was subsequently destroyed and removed from the area."
The conservation office said its officer in the area "observed that the cougar was clearly focusing on domestic house cats and hunting in amongst people`s residences."
The service added that destroying wildlife is the worst part of any officer's job but this particular animal was not a candidate for relocation.
