Residents of Canmore, Alberta, Canada have been left disturbed after a female cougar with kittens was shot – after living peacefully alongside them for years.
Wildlife photographer John Marriott had been tracking the cougar for four years using trail cameras.
"She's like this ghost neighbour and she's a perfect example of a cat that is wonderful at coexisting and respecting humans, and living right beside us without us really knowing it," he told Canada’s Global News.
However, after recently discovering fresh tracks during a stakeout, Marriott was shocked to see a group of cougar hunters emerging from the bushes.
"That was the moment of shock where I suddenly thought, 'Is this the Canmore cougar – and they have killed her and orphaned some kittens?'" he said.
According to Marriott, the hunters had separated the cougar from her kittens using dogs, chased her up a tree and shot her. Marriott also said that the most upsetting aspect is that the hunters would have known she had kittens because there were "cougar kitten tracks everywhere.”
Several residents of Canmore have suggested that the hunters have violated cougar hunting laws, as the kittens were not old enough to survive without their mother. Laws in the region state that mothers of young kittens cannot be killed, but whether or not their actions are deemed illegal, “without a doubt, there’s been something unethical,” said Marriott.
He added, "It's so important to keep these mature older females on the landscape because they teach their kittens how to interact with people and how to avoid them.”
It’s unclear if the hunters will be convicted of breaching hunting laws, however, Fish and Wildlife was able to safely capture the cubs, and they're currently being cared for at the Calgary Zoo. Sadly, due to the death of their mother, they'll never be able to live in the wild again.
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