2 cougars killed in Canmore after attacking local dog

Alberta Fish and Wildlife euthanized two cougars in Canmore Sunday morning after the animals were discovered feeding on a local dog.

A call reporting the attack came in around 6:30 a.m. MT Sunday.

An Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer attended the scene and spotted one cougar with the dead dog. The officer tracked the animal into the Blue Grouse Ridge subdivision, east of Silvertip Road, where the cougar was cornered and euthanized. 

The officer then returned to the location where the dog was killed. 

"When the officer went back there was a second cougar on the dog, feeding on it," says Brendan Cox, a public affairs officer with Alberta Justice. "This cougar, it held its ground and stayed with the dog."  

The animal was euthanized at the scene. 

"These cougars are believed to have been working together and it's also believed that they were involved in an attack on a dog on Thursday," Cox said. 

Cox said the cougars were destroyed because they were not demonstrating any fear of humans, they appeared to be depending on dogs for food and were showing signs of habituation to those behaviours. 

"These incidents are rare because cougars are typically very shy of humans and will generally stick to hunting other animals," said Cox.

Dog owners in Canmore are being advised to keep their pets on a leash and within sight when they are outside.