Cougar spotted in Moose Jaw euthanized after more than 24 hours in the city

Supplied: Moose Jaw Police Service

MOOSE JAW — A cougar spotted in Moose Jaw early Monday morning was euthanized after spending more than 24 hours in the city.

According to Moose Jaw police, the animal was euthanized as a result of public safety concerns and in consultation with conservation officers.

"Conservation Officers attended and advised police that any attempt to tranquilize the animal in an urban setting would not be effective or safe for the public," Moose Jaw police said in a news release.

Police say they used a drone to track the cougar's movements.

According to Saskatchewan Conservation, the cougar was euthanized around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. The animal was underneath a deck at a home.

Saskatchewan Conservation said the cougar was in the city for more than 24 hours.

COUGAR EUTHANIZED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

The Saskatchewan Conservation Office said euthanizing the animal was the most appropriate action to take because public safety was at risk.

It said tranquillizing the animal was not a good action to take given the circumstances.

“Once the dart is in it takes four to seven minutes or if the animal is very excited, sometimes longer for the drugs to take effect,” Bruce Reid, Inspector & Manager of the Southwest portion of the Province for Saskatchewan Conservation, said.

“If the animal was to attempt to escape and get away, the possibility of not being able to find it after its gone to sleep, especially in a fairly congested urban setting would be would be a real possibility.”

Reid believes the animal came into the community through the Spring Creek Valley. He said a cougar coming into an urban area is rare and suspects it is quite young.

“It probably been displaced either or kicked out by its mother because it was time for it to be on its own or displaced from a territory by a larger cougar,” Reid said. “They’re territorial animals and they have staked out their areas and defend it.”

Saskatchewan Conservation said the cougar population in the province is healthy right now and cougar sightings are becoming more common.

Call the authorities to report any cougar sightings in urban areas.

Around midnight Monday morning a cougar was caught on a doorbell camera in the 900 block of James St.