The cougar discovered in Rotary Park on Lakeshore Drive on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 was tranquilized and relocated just outside of Penticton.
Image Credit: Contributed/Brian Yastremski
May 28, 2015 - 4:02 PM
PENTICTON - A wild cat discovered in a tree in Penticton’s Lakeside Rotary Park Wednesday morning used up one its nine lives, as far as the conservation authorities are concerned.
The young cougar was discovered by a Penticton resident walking his dog by the Peach, May 27. Both conservation officers and the RCMP attended, Barb Leslie with the B.C. Conservation Service says.
Leslie called the cat “sub adult” adding a decision was made to tranquillize the cougar because of its location. It was then brought to the conservation office.
Further discussions with the wildlife branch and the provincial veterinarian ensued over what the cougar’s fate would be.
“It’s very unusual for us to relocate a cougar, but given the circumstances of not having received any complaints of this cougar causing problems and it was just in the downtown core, officers did relocate it just inside what we believe is its home range a short distance away,” Leslie says.
She says it isn't unusual to see wildlife close to the city especially in treed gullies and fringe areas.
“Why this one was seen downtown during the daytime, we don’t know, but given there was no evidence of bad behaviour the decision was made to relocate it."
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015