Cougar that attacked dog put down

A cougar was euthanized Tuesday after it attacked a dog in Canmore, officials say.

A group of three mountain bikers with a dog ran into the animal on a popular trail in the town last night.

The dog managed to escape its encounter without being hurt.

The cat had already been caught and released in Banff recently, Alberta Parks officials said.

"This morning around 11 o'clock we went to find the cat and we found it really easily. And again it didn't retreat when we approached it. So, we dispatched the cat. This story's come to an end with this cat unfortunately," Glenn Naylor, district conservation officer with Alberta Parks said.

The animal was very underweight and could have become dangerous as it got more desperate for food, Naylor said.