A cougar was euthanized by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service in Port Alice on Tuesday after it killed a small dog and took it into an open carport.
It was the third incident within a few days — the cougar also killed a pet cat in a Port Alice yard, then tried to get into a chicken coop.
The chicken coop’s owner threw a hammer at the cougar but it was reluctant to leave.
The Conservation Officer Service said cats closely resemble natural cougar prey such as raccoon, marten and mink.
“[The] cougar had shifted from natural prey to non-natural/domestic animals and is showing no fear of people,” the service said in a statement. “COS euthanized the cougar as it posed a serious public-safety threat.”
The service said it’s common for cougars to pass through the Port Alice area.
Cougar sightings can be reported to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.
