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Cougar destroyed on Grant Rd

Sooke PocketNews Posted on by

–SPN News

A cougar was destroyed on the west side of Grant Road yesterday, September 4, 2016. According to various reports, the animal was shot by Sooke RCMP

Social media reports are available from Vibrant Victoria (the first to report on it) and CFAX, embedded below.

There were also various social media reports of a cougar sighting near Grant and Henlyn, early Sunday morning around 7:00 a.m. The cat showed no fear of humans, and was seen walking through a backyard right up to a back door. Because of its fearlessness, it posed a risk to humans; conservation officers were notified and it was destroyed by the Sooke RCMP.

This was not the same tagged cougar filmed in early August near Sheringham Point in Shirley, according to a report from CFAX.

In a statement (full statement below), Debbie Read of Wild Wise Sooke bluntly states, “The cat was ruined then destroyed because PEOPLE were careless.”

Read is not blaming the person who called it in. That person did the right thing.

“Calling the RCMP was necessary,” says Read. “It was too late for that cougar. It already was habituated and had no fear of humans.”

Following are the various reports available on social media, followed by a full statement from Wild Wise Sooke. The end CTV video on the decision not to relocate adult cougars has scenes that some viewers may find difficult to watch.

**Please note, we realize this topic is a passionate one; however, we ask that you keep your language clean and focused on the issue. Comments laced with f-bombs will be removed. 

Debbie Read of Wild Wise Sooke offers the following

I can explain some facts to help understand why wild animals are sometimes destroyed.

This should be no surprise to us, that a cougar saw an opportunity and feasted on cats, rodents and human-fed urban deer.

Some residents enjoy feeding deer and having them reside on their property. Others leave out garbage that attracts rodents to the property. These attractants invite wild animals like Cougars.

Even in broad daylight a cougar will “be hunting”—in town. So what would you do with this cat? He was now hunting and enjoying life within a residential community.

There is no magical place to where wild animals (cougars) can be easily relocated or translocated, allowing them to live Happily Ever After. Even after a relocation, once an animal has become habituated (no longer fear or try to avoid humans) and human food conditioned, they will strive to continue that behavior. Seeking out easy food sources is the motivating factor.

Bottom line: If the cougar had no attractants within a residential community, it would still be enjoying life in the wild.

We cannot take a chance with a wild animal eating and living in community. People, through carelessness or ignorance, are the problem; ironically, they can also be the first to scream foul play when these wild animals are destroyed. People have to realize that managing food attractions is key to keeping wildlife wild.

The cat was ruined then destroyed because PEOPLE were careless.

 

Comments

Cougar destroyed on Grant Rd — 82 Comments

  1. Wild Wise is DEAD wrong!
    I don’t think the get the real problem…hopefully someone educates them!

    • Paul ““The onus really falls on people to not be attracting them to those places where they’re going to end up in conflict with us. Because we know that when that happens, it’s the predator that’s going to lose.” – Mike Badry, wildlife-conflict manager for the ministry’s Conservation Services

      • We humans are destroying the wild habitat. We build houses and schools where these animals have libed successfully for hundreds of years. Cougar, bear, deer, raccoon, mink, otter etc are all dislocated because of us. They just want to survive like all species.
        Extremely sad to shoot him when he’s just looking for food in a place that was his hunting ground. I’m torn between whether it is necessary or whether it is not. It is still quite sad.

    • Paul …exploiting whales. …Taking people out in boats to where the Whales live. Interfering with
      Wild life is all the same. Cougars, bears, whales.
      Our message Keep wildlife wild. Your negative comments are not nessasary

    • t be attracting them to those places where they’re going to end up in conflict with us. Because we know that when that happens, it’s the predator that’s going to lose.” – Mike Badry, wildlife-conflict manager for the ministry’s Conservation Officer Service.

  5. Well here we go again,no money to relocate so kill them.not acceptable to me Thinking the animals are going to eat you and your kids won’t do anyone any good,,Leave them alone

    • I fail to see what laws and fines you are talking about. Said cougar was shot, as explained in the article, by the RCMP who were responding to a 911 call and even the conservation office commented that this animal’s fate had been sealed the moment it no longer feared humans; who has many have and will continue to point out, are encroaching on their habitat (not vice versa).

    • If they actually did their jobs and FINED these people instead of giving warning after warning maybe just maybe people would smarten the heck up. And yes, words came from a killer officer himself.

      • Very true it is not the Cougars fault but people that feed wild, etc. when u encourage the deer you encourage the predators. When you live in a place like soup basically out in the forest we can reasonably expect there will be cougars around however encouraging them to be around just puts the Wildcats life in danger and as per usual of course the wildcat will pay not the people that have caused him to become familiar with humans

  11. I continually shake my head reading these comments. I have kids and pets, whose lives I value heads and tails above a cougar who has no fear. Of course I hate to see an animal killed, but this cougar had lost its fear of humans…this is not normal behaviour. This was a DANGEROUS SITUATION. Sure, we have built houses and towns from top to bottom of this island in the cougars previous home…where should we live? To call these conservation officers and rcmp murderers is beyond absurd and ignorant. This cougar was a danger. Period, end of story. Try to keep things in perspective.

    • You mentioned something interesting. You justify the killing, yet awknowledge that humans have moved into their territory. So if we move into the cougar’s habitat, what justifies us killing them?

    • I also thought it was pretty clear that this was a dangerous situation where the behaviour was abnormal and very dangerous to humans. There is a very large difference between ending the life of a dangerous animal and one that has a normal sense of boundary and fear of humans. No one is condoning killing Cougars left and right…they roam our suburbs and neighbourhoods every night and we rarely have issues. This however is very different. How is this not clear?

    • Hilarious that neither you or Michael could answer the question of where the population should live to get out of the cougars homeland….the basis of your argument 😉

    • ” where should we live” The human race needs to learn to co-exist with the animals that roam this island. 4 deaths due to cougars on our island in the last 100 years… think about how many human caused deaths their is to animals and other humans…i get the whole cougar not being afraid of humans, but the more we build into their homes the more familiarized they get. its not their faults!!!!

    • i dont think anyone want to see your family hurt and your pets should be kept indoors for their safety or with you at all times but if you make a decision to live in an area with wild animals are then you should be prepared for a interaction.theres tons of info and deterrents .regardless this animal should have been relocated funny how northern communities Alaska relocate but we can afford to pay to humanely relocate

    • Be respectful. And if the idea of sharing the Island with animals that have no choice but to stay on the Island bothers you, then move off the island.

      You can jump on a ferry. A cougar can’t.

    • To answer your question of “where should we live?” It’s very simple: If you can’t handle sharing space with a cougar, you should live in a city where encounters are far less likely. Those that can be responsible and safe around wildlife without freaking out and killing can stay in the country. If you’re afraid to have your kids around cougars, raise them downtown Vancouver, Toronto, LA, Chicago, Tokyo… there are a lot of options for you.

    • Skye Wormald we coexist with cougars and bears and other predictors every day – we very rarely see them or experience their attacks (4 deaths, okay, but talk to the parent of a child or an individual who has been attacked and not killed and ask how they feel). So if there is a predator that is not afraid of humans anymore and is now a danger, what would you like to see done instead? Not being sarcastic, just wondering what this would look like to you?

    • Aidan Logins maybe you’re not reading the article? The cougar had no fear of people. This type of behaviour is a DANGER. I’ve lived in the “wilds” of Sooke my entire 32 years, I’m sure being close by to Cougars, bears, predators many of those days without being attacked. This.is.different. It had no fear. Why is this difficult to understand??

    • Sorry to say it but a few people on this post could use a real education. The reason why these animals are being murdered is because of YOU and your ignorance

    • I sincerely hope none of you encounter a cougar that has no fear of your presence….that doesn’t back away when you make all the loud noises you can. I hope you don’t have to see one carry off your child or pet and rip into their flesh. Seek out a survivor of a cougar attack, seek out the family of one of the cougar related deaths….chat with them, see what they feel about a cougar with no fear. Maybe then you will start valuing human lives over a dangerous animal….I’m done.

    • Kristi Nelson i still think they should be re-located.. is what i think… the fact that they arent doing that anymore saddens me. i get how horrific it would be to be attacked or know someone who has experienced that.. i totally get that, but where i grew up we had a neighborhood cougar and lots of bears.. we never bothered eachother… i think people are allowed to have their own views on this aswell. so im not into arguing! ive said my peice, and ill leave it at that!

    • Skye Wormald I get your point – it would be really nice if it could be relocated. From what I’ve read this one has been relocated before. I don’t think it’s right that they won’t be even trying to relocate them anymore. And yes, totally okay to have an opinion, I’m all for a healthy debate 😉 it’s the idiotic and rude comments that get to me.

    • I had a cougar in the backyard tree last Wednesday. Did I call and report it? Nope. It’d probably the one who got murdered. If I had kids I would be responsible enough to keep them at arms length. And my pets are indoors. People like yourself Kristi Nelson make me value animals a LOT more then I do humans

    • You would keep your kids at arms length when they’re playing outside? You keep your pets inside all day? Sounds like you’re the one who’s afraid to live in an area with cougars. My dog roams the yard and my daughter plays outside as often as possible without me hovering over her 😉 but okay, good plan.

    • No actually Kristi Nelson not much in this world scares me. I just don’t act irresponsible and leave a door open to possible risks. Sounds like an excellent plan to me.

    • We’re should the Cougars live ???? Kristi Nelson . It’s everyone’s responsibility to watch your own kids pets garbage . In Sooke we live in nature ….period end of story !!! Learn to live with nature or move to town

    • Read the article. Still didn’t have to shoot it. They have these amazing inventions called tranquilizers. How they work is simple. You take the tranquilizer gun and aim it at the animal and then pull the trigger. So, instead of a bullet that kills the animal, the animal thinks “woah, what’s happening?” Boom.

      Then the animal wakes up in the woods somewhere away from human habitats.

      Kristi Nelson, for all your effort to paint Cougars as dangerous predators, I fear my fellow human beings more than a cougar. Humans break into houses everyday. They get arrested, not shot and killed.

  14. Remember people, as more people move to the Island and towns and cities expand, wild animals will be forced to move around and relocate. Being forced from their habitats will eventually lead to contact with humans.

    If this is a fear for you, then move into a city or move off the Island. It’s a simple solution.

  15. WE LIVE ON THEIR LAND. what on earth makes it ok to kill them for walking where we trespassed. If animals could act as we could, the world would be sued. Seriously people, they were here first, we invaded their space. Not the other way around.

  17. This makes me sad…I mean the cougar never attacked anyone and yet they still shoot to kill…what’s wrong with reporting the sighting and turning up with tranquilizer guns and transporting the animal to a safe spot for it and the people….but NOOOOO….let’s let some ass hole get out of jail 3 months early on a bullshit sentence to begin with for raping a girl because of good behaviour!! Human race is horrible!!!!

  18. I am a vegan. I know that spells “weird” to many people, so you can stop reading if you like … but I just have to say that during the time it took me to read the article, thousands of cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, etc. have been killed in horrible ways all across the country. Nobody seems to mind that – they don’t think about it, so that they can go and enjoy hamburgers and chicken wings and such, which are proven to make them less healthy than if they were vegetarian.
    This is one cougar, and it’s sad. What about all the rest?
    Why is it okay to kill some animals, put them in your mouth and chew them up, but not others? I was born not understanding this double standard. Our environment is being destroyed because of animal agriculture, but nobody wants to face the problem.
    If it’s sad to kill one animal, maybe factory killing is sad too, don’t you think?

  19. Understanding of how wildlife can shift from being something nice to see or experience to something that is a real threat to human safety and/or property is not always easy. Hindsight usually lets us see when the wildlife became a problem but by then it is often too late. Your best strategy is to think about what the long term outcomes could be from your present interactions with wildlife.
    strive to learn and to share about how we can reduce human-wildlife conflicts in all of our day-to-day activities. We must all think about how we live with respect to wildlife.

    Where and how we “LIVE” is one of the greatest opportunities and challenges for reducing human-wildlife conflict. Our homes and yards are where we spend the bulk of our time and it is here that we are most protective of ‘our’ space. It is also where we create so many attractants and opportunities for wildlife to get into conflict with us

  22. A single bobcat requires 5 square miles of territory in order to have enough prey to support him. All exotic cats, male and female, spray to mark their boundaries. Except for an overlapping of territory during mating the cats patrol and defend their boundaries against other cats and other top predators. These boundaries must be fiercely guarded or the cats will starve to death. If two wild cats find themselves in the same area they will fight to the death. That is why respecting these scent marked boundary lines is so important to them.

  23. It won’t be too long down the road, and we will be facing extinction of all the large predator animals on this island. Then we will be saying ‘What happened?’ There has to be large tracts of land saved for these creatures. Humans are the problem. Too many people.

  25. As a hunter I am outraged. This animal deserved to live along with all the others that have been shot and killed for the same reason. We moved onto their land and took it away from them and now we shoot them because they come forth looking for a new place to live and food to eat which continues to get more and more scarce with the abundance of people moving to the island. It is appalling that you would shoot this poor creature and condemn it to death rather than tranquilize it and relocate it. Why does it deserve to die because we took over their land and food/water sources? If you cannot handle living in the WILDerness with the animals without having them killed, then move back to the city where you belong.

  26. A lot of comments by the same bozos that want to relocate the hospital bunnies no doubt.

  27. REPORT an FRUIT TREE .. Post it Pass it on
    There are many fruit trees in Our Community that need picking. Sometimes, we can own a apple tree but are unable to pick the fruit or we just don’t want the fruit.
    Report a fruit tree and make the fruit available to others, a local fruit exchange program or food bank.
    Many people want the fruit and are willing to come and pick it. Post it so people can contact you via messenger and pick your fruit
    Let’s all contribute and report a Tree and Be Bear Wise. You too can help to keep our wildlife !

    -fruit bearing trees begin to ripen, and become the next food choice for hungry bears. Fruit attracts bears to our backyards, increases potential interaction, bear habituation, and resulting human/wildlife conflict
    We Can Prevent Conflict
    Go for it post the fruit tree comments on the sites. Let’s try and get people going on this. Everyone postes comments when a cougar was shot .. Let’s see if we can get them going on preventing conflicts with Wild life

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