A cougar was shot dead by Nanaimo RCMP in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
According to several reports, the animal was seen lurking around the Nanaimo Yacht Club area on Newcastle Avenue at around 1:30 a.m. on July 18th.
Witnesses spotted the cougar swimming between docks and creeping around boats, which is when they called the police.
When officers arrived, the big cat took off towards a pier with multiple condo units. That’s when RCMP decided to shoot it, in consideration of public safety.
It sunk into the water after being shot dead, and the body was recovered by conservation officers later that day.
Officers believe that this cougar is the same one that has been spotted around Newcastle Island over the past few weeks, and the decision to shoot it stemmed from the knowledge that the animal had no fear of humans.
