Prince George, BC stock molesting cougar culled

[Emily]

from the Prince George Citizen
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/inde ... Itemid=556

Cougar killed after attack at local farm
(0)
(News) Friday, 29 February 2008, 05:00 PST
GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff


Conservation officers dispatched the fourth cougar of the year on Thursday after it attacked and killed a llama at the same farm it had earlier killed a goat and injured a dog.

When a cougar displays an unusual pattern like this -- coming in close to farm land and residences and attacking domestic animals-- there's little choice but to kill the cat, said conservation officer Gary Van Spengen.

"We have to err on the side of caution in the interest of public safety," he said.

In this particular case, there is a good deer population in the area, which is what the cougar should be feeding on, he explained.

Although he noted it's only speculation, it's possible cougars are having trouble tracking down their normal prey because of a deep, crusty snowpack. This particular cougar was a healthy male, said Spengen.

"It's very unfortunate we had to destroy the cat," he said.

He said tranquilizing the cougar and delivering it to a different location is not usually successful, particularly if the animal has already adopted this kind of behaviour of preying on domestic animals. In that way, cougars are not dissimilar than problem bears which normally cannot be successfully relocated, said Van Spengen.

The cougar was tracked by hounds and killed in the Koroa Road area , south of the Willowcale Road and west of Highway 97, about 10 kilometres south of downtown Prince George.

Van Spengen said the number of cougar sightings and attacks on domestics animals was unusual for Prince George.

Conservation officers were called to the Pineview area last week to investigate a pair of unconfirmed cougar sightings. It was the same area in which a cougar was put down earlier that week.

In two other instances where conservation officers killed cougars, the big cats had killed dogs, one on a property at McGuire Road off Chief Lake Road, and another at an Upper Mud River Road residence in Beaverly.

Van Spengen said although sightings are up, the chances of encountering a cougar are extremely low. Still, people should be careful, particularly in rural areas, and keep a careful on their children and pets, he said.

If you encounter a cougar, don't turn your back on it, make yourself as big as possible and back away, advised Van Spengen.

He said cougars can be identified by their tan colour and their long tail, which is as long as their body. The tail is not fluffy, and normally has a black tip.

[horshur]

Ain't them Llamas supposed to be stock protectors?..jeez I know of a shitzu that treed a cougar up Powell river way just this week..Co killed that cat also. Instead of a llama get a shitzu.

[houndogger]

Andy when I was a kid my friends parents had a shitz. That little bastard bit me a couple of times. They are mean little bastards

[TomJr]

Shitzu are mean little basterds and dumb. They think they are alot bigger than they are I was out hunting with my dogs recently and this guy was walking a Jack russle and his 9month old shitzu off leash. Anyhow the Shitzu attacked my 15 year old Sam (Eglish short haired pointer)... I had to pay a 260 vet bill cause Sam put a big 2-3 inch gash on the Shitzu's side... and likly would have killed it if I had not pulled Sam off. I also got bit on the hand by his Jack russle for my trouble.

Predy silly walking two little dogs like that in a wilderness area. Too many people starting to move in to my area from the big cities... I hope he runs into some Javalina next time