Another report of a not-so-mysterious cat being shot surfaced over the weekend. The dispatching of out-of-place felids appears to be epidemic across the USA in the last couple of weeks. Here is another story.
State wildlife agents said they had no choice but to kill a cougar in a Bossier City neighborhood after a tranquilizer dart didn’t work fast enough, reported KTBS of Shreveport, Louisiana.
The cougar was spotted in a tree Sunday afternoon, November 30, 2008, on Whittington Street. Police cordoned off a one-block area around the location and kept residents in their homes as a precaution in the event the cougar came out of the tree, then called in wildlife agents.
Two tranquilizer darts fired from a rifle sent the animal falling to the ground. But it was still aggressive, so a wildlife biologist told police to shoot it to keep it from running off into the neighborhood.
“Unfortunately when we darted it, the cat made moves that it was going to come down the tree and come out into the neighborhood and we thought it was a public risk, so we had Bossier P.D. take it out,” said Wildlife and Fisheries agent Steve Hebert.
Charles Colgin first spotted the cougar in the tree and called police. He supported what agents did.
“I have a 6-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter and I was very concerned. I’m glad it was taken care of; I’d rather see him dead than one of my children dead,” he said.
Susan and Mike Hilburn had hoped agents could save the cougar and return it to the wild.
Wildlife agents are trying to determine where the cat had been before he got into the neighborhood.
Thanks to Alligator for the heads up.
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