Cougar cornered near mall

[Fancy]

Yes, there was mention of an infected tooth and sores on it's skin.
No veterinary diagnosis...just what we're being told to justify the action

One report said "teeth" and there doesn't need to be a vet diagnosis to see sores and infection and understand what it means. This wasn't a healthy animal to be treated immediately and released for something minor and I expect it would have need quite some time in a medical facility to treat it properly before releasing it. To do a half a$$ed job in fixing an animal up and relocating it is not a good way to go.

[Fancy]

Open sores, broken and infected teeth. These seem, to me, to be part of life for wild animals.

I believe this has been addressed, however, wild animals in these circumstances become habituated to an unhealthy environment for them by killing livestock and pets. They end up getting shot anyway.

[Farmmaa]

One report said "teeth" and there doesn't need to be a vet diagnosis to see sores and infection and understand what it means. This wasn't a healthy animal to be treated immediately and released for something minor and I expect it would have need quite some time in a medical facility to treat it properly before releasing it. To do a half a$$ed job in fixing an animal up and relocating it is not a good way to go.

And another report said TOOTH...and sores...not open, infected sores.
They could have been from anything - old battle scars, ringworm, allergic dermatitis, mites, porcupine run-in...none of it life threatening...none of it unique in wild animals.
Wild animals are caught, treated and released immediately all the time - they do not need time in captivity to be rehabilitated for minor surgical procedures like a tooth extraction. They are given a shot of long acting antibiotics and sent on their way as soon as they can stand and walk again.

[Fancy]

And another report said TOOTH...and sores...not open, infected sores.
They could have been from anything - old battle scars, ringworm, allergic dermatitis, mites, porcupine run-in...none of it life threatening...none of it unique in wild animals.
Wild animals are caught, treated and released immediately all the time - they do not need time in captivity to be rehabilitated for minor surgical procedures like a tooth extraction. They are given a shot of long acting antibiotics and sent on their way as soon as they can stand and walk again.

I've dealt with many animals with sores - they aren't old battle scars. As far as tooth extractions are concerned, I wonder if you have ever witnessed what this entails. This animal was not a good candidate for release.

[Fancy]

The feline had sores all over her body, and serious problems with her teeth. She was deemed too unhealthy to be released back into the wild, and Conservation Officers made the decision to put her down.
The cougar’s poor health may have contributed to her erratic behavior this weekend.

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/ailing-cougar-euth ... -1.3234063

The conservation officers initially planned to take the animal away to be released into the wild, but, upon closer inspection, said the cat was in poor health with sores on her body and problems with her teeth.

"[Teeth are] a tool they use for survival in the wild and without it they could likely starve to death and that's probably why it was in the situation it found itself in in Kelowna," conservation officer Ed Sitez said.

"It's a situation that is tough to deal with, but we try to do our best and do what's best for the animal. In this case, unfortunately, it had to be put down."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.3927378

The big cat had problems with its teeth and sores all over its body. It was decided the animal was too sick to be released into the wild.

http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/18 ... euthanized

Let's be realistic here - although the intent was to release it back, it was decided to do what was best for the animal. It is never easy to put down an animal and the CO's would not make this decision lightly.

[youjustcomplain]

Let's be realistic here - although the intent was to release it back, it was decided to do what was best for the animal. It is never easy to put down an animal and the CO's would not make this decision lightly.

So, just so you understand, and I don't claim to speak for Farrmma, I'm not saying that CO's make all the wrong decisions, or that this animal needed to sent back to the wild. I'm unsure how I feel about it. It's hard to always hear that any potentially dangerous animal spotted by humans needs to be killed just for being a wild animal. This one may have been on its death bed anyhow. Maybe it was in perfect health; I highly doubt that based on where it was found and the report from the CO stating its health.

But again, injuries and infection would seem, to me, to be common place for a wild animal. The only reason the CO's put this one down was because they were called to deal with it. Most wild animals live or die in the wild without us ever knowing about it. I guess I'd just prefer to see more animals released than killed for being what they are; wild animals.

[youjustcomplain]

Good grief - punching as a comparison?

Good grief, you can't recognize a metaphor? I'm not equating punching to killing cougars. Obviously very different things. If you can't understand the metaphor though, I could attempt to explain it, but I think you understood the point.

[Fancy]

^^I thought that a ridiculous point.

Maybe it was in perfect health; I highly doubt that based on where it was found and the report from the CO stating its health.

But again, injuries and infection would seem, to me, to be common place for a wild animal. The only reason the CO's put this one down was because they were called to deal with it. Most wild animals live or die in the wild without us ever knowing about it. I guess I'd just prefer to see more animals released than killed for being what they are; wild animals.

"Maybe it was in perfect health"?? Why would you even say that considering the reports? And again, you would have read the CO's were going to relocate this animal so no, they didn't put this one down because they were called to deal with it. They receive a ton of calls regarding wild animals they don't put down but just monitor. Please get your facts right.

[ferri]

*Don't start making this personal! Thanks!

[Fancy]

The conservation service gets more than 100 calls a year from people about cougars sighted passing through yards or farms in the region.
Many calls are simply logged for information purposes, but COs respond if livestock have been killed, the cougar seems to be lingering in urban areas, or it has been injured by a vehicle.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/ ... 048fd.html
This particular cougar was to be relocated before the CO's really got a good look at it. It just doesn't make sense to put an ailing mature cougar back into the wild as it will know how to find its way back for easy pickings.

[Daspoot]

I'm always amazed at some people know more than the experts, heck some can even do a better examination of an animal from a blurry, ill-lit picture or two than a certified professional on site. The best are those that can come to a conclusion from the sentence structure of a news report!

Go buy a CO lunch sometime, you just might be surprised that they aren't kill-crazy, some even are willing to lose their jobs than kill an animal they don't think should be killed. The CO's I've known are among the very best advocates for wild animals out there, and downright awesome people in general.

[Raven1]

So, just so you understand, and I don't claim to speak for Farrmma, I'm not saying that CO's make all the wrong decisions, or that this animal needed to sent back to the wild. I'm unsure how I feel about it. It's hard to always hear that any potentially dangerous animal spotted by humans needs to be killed just for being a wild animal. This one may have been on its death bed anyhow. Maybe it was in perfect health; I highly doubt that based on where it was found and the report from the CO stating its health.

But again, injuries and infection would seem, to me, to be common place for a wild animal. The only reason the CO's put this one down was because they were called to deal with it. Most wild animals live or die in the wild without us ever knowing about it. I guess I'd just prefer to see more animals released than killed for being what they are; wild animals.

Very good point, seldom if ever during the mass media attention of forest fires is anything ever said about the number of wild animals lost, the risk to firefighters from highly traumatized, burnt animals or the fact that firefighters have to euthanize animals suffering with severe burns. What happens to the ones that are able to survive the fire but are burned......

[Farmmaa]

I've dealt with many animals with sores - they aren't old battle scars. As far as tooth extractions are concerned, I wonder if you have ever witnessed what this entails. This animal was not a good candidate for release.

Yes, I have, thanks.

Did you see the 'sores' yourself? If not, how would you know what they were ?
Sores are not a life threatening condition.

I've never once blamed the COs. They don't make the policies. They just have to carry out the orders.

I put a lot more of the blame on the people who are constantly running to the media every bloody time they spot a wild animal.

[Fancy]

When a predator is ill and starts going after livestock and pets, it's a good thing people call it in. Having an animal in a populated area like that is just asking for trouble.

[Rwede]

Very good point, seldom if ever during the mass media attention of forest fires is anything ever said about the number of wild animals lost, the risk to firefighters from highly traumatized, burnt animals or the fact that firefighters have to euthanize animals suffering with severe burns. What happens to the ones that are able to survive the fire but are burned......

True, a few animals will get injured in forest fires. The vast majority, however, have great instincts to flee to safety.

The huge benefits that forest fires bring to wildlife habitat that in this area is SUPPOSED to burn every 10 - 15 years far outweighs the losses suffered in the fires.

Example: Les Gyug's report on bird abundance after the OK Mountain fire

http://www.okanagannature.org/Ok%20Mt%2 ... 202013.pdf