Alberta Fish and Wildlife says officers euthanized a cougar that was caught roaming the streets of Airdrie on Thursday. Residents of Airdrie reported spotting the elusive predator along Bayside Drive on Thursday morning and then again in the community of Luxstone Green S.W. Fish and Wildlife say officers were called to a backyard in Luxstone Green at around 7:30 p.m., where they found the cougar in thick bush in a backyard. Fish and Wildlife tranquilized the cougar in the backyard before officers made “the difficult decision to euthanize it,” a spokesperson said. “Cougars are normally shy of humans and will leave the area quickly if they knew a human is nearby,” a spokesperson for Fish and Wildlife wrote in an email to CTV News. “This cougar did not exhibit normal behaviour, which shows that it was highly habituated and a safety concern.” “There was no other feasible option that would ensure this cougar doesn’t return to the same community or another, putting people and/or pets at risk,” the spokesperson said. The action was in accordance with the province’s cougar response guide. Albertans can learn how to avoid conflict with cougars here.
