Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2023
File: 23-43261
Victoria, BC – A difficult decision to dispatch a cougar was made this afternoon after it was located for the second time today in the busy Selkirk Waterfront area.
Just before 4 p.m. today, officers responded to an additional report of a full-grown cougar in the middle of a park in the 300-block of Waterfront Crescent. The cougar was initially seen just before 5 a.m. this morning in the same area.
Given the close proximity to a school and preschool during care hours, the amount of people and residences in the area, and the amount of time it would take for Conservation officers to arrive, the risk to public safety was determined to be high and a decision was made to dispatch the cougar.
Situations where police are required to dispatch an animal are extremely rare. We understand that people may feel strongly about this animal and its well-being, and we can assure you that this decision was not made lightly; this was a difficult decision for the officers involved. However, the safety and security of the community is our priority.
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