KAMLOOPS — It was an exciting morning for Kamloops residents as they caught a rare glimpse of a cougar downtown.
The young cougar was spotted in the 300-block of Nicola Street around 8:30 Wednesday morning.
The road was promptly blocked to traffic, and RCMP members attended with guns ready until the Conservation Officer Service arrived on scene.
“Our best assessment is it’s a wild animal,” RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Fogarty said. “We’re not conservation officers, we’re police officers, so just kind of prepare for anything that could happen, keep an eye on the public, and wait for the experts to roll in.”
The cougar remained quite still as it rested on a ledge outside a condo building.
A crowd of people gathering nearby managed a good look at the large cat, but had to move inside once the conservation officer was ready to tranquilize the cougar.
Inside the condo building, Mike Keetch had a perfect vantage point for officers to take their shot.
“My bedroom window is actually the best view of it, and the safest view,” Keetch said. “So, they asked if I would mind if they came up and tranquilized it out my bedroom window. I met them downstairs, brought them up, and the rest is history. One shot and they got it, and in about three minutes it was sound asleep.”
