A City of Victoria worker has received a slap on the wrist from the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) for beheading a cougar which was shot by VicPD in late November.
On Tuesday, November 21st, VicPD were observing a fully-grown cougar who was spotted within the city limits near the Selkirk Waterfront.
Ultimately, VicPD officers opted to kill the cougar due to the close proximity to nearby schools.
The cougar’s remains were then taken to a City waste management facility to be held until COS officers could come and retrieve the body and dispose of it properly.
The deceased cougar was placed in a dumpster at this time.
At some point while the body was in the dumpster, a City worker climbed into the dumpster and decapitated the remains, taking the head with them.
When the head was discovered to be missing from the cougar’s body, all staff who were on hand were given a warning by their supervisors. Staff were told that they had best return the head to the dumpster or else their job would be in jeopardy and they would also be at the mercy of COS.
Following this, the head was returned to the dumpster the next day.
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Victoria Buzz had reached out to the City of Victoria to comment on what transpired prior to the person responsible being discovered and they said, “The City cannot comment on specific personnel matters.”
“Allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour are investigated and may lead to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal,” the City concluded.
As of Monday, December 11th, COS say they have concluded their investigation into the matter which they had launched following Victoria Buzz reaching out for comment on Friday, December 1st.
“One individual received a written warning in relation to this file,” said a COS spokesperson.
“The cougar head was promptly returned to the COS. The individual was co-operative throughout the investigation and expressed remorse for their actions.”
They continued by stating that in situations like this, conservation officers have discretion when issuing enforcement action. This can range from a written warning to initiating a court proceeding.
 for beheading a cougar which was shot by VicPD in late November. ){kind=link}