2 hungry cougars killed in Port Alberni after showing no fear of humans

Two young, emaciated cougars were destroyed by the Conservation Officer Service in Port Alberni, B.C., after several reports that the animals were approaching humans.

Conservation officerDaniel Eichstadterwent out looking for the animals on Sunday. He said when he came across them, they looked desperate for food.

"And because of the behaviour they had been exhibiting and their lack of fear of me, I ended up having to dispatch both animals," he said.

Eichstadtersaid, most likely, something happened to the young cougars' mother, meaning the two had not learned how to properly hunt and were looking elsewhere for food,"eating anything they could try to get."

He said the two cougars were about six months old.

Close encounters

The Conservation Officer Service said it had received reports about the animals over the past five days.

One came from a woman who said the animals approached her and her children. Eichstadter said the woman did everything right and got herself and her children away from the animals without incident.

Eichstadter said it is common for cougars to travel through Port Alberni, but most are on the move at night. The two cougars killed were sticking to one particular area in the southeast part of the city that backs onto wilderness.

He is asking anyone who encounters a cougar to contact the province'sReport All Poachers and Polluters or RAPP line.