I have been listening to the t.v. all day and have been hearing repeatedly how each of the leaders are attacking Mr. Harper, his integrity, his personality, his past decisions, his government policy and performance. What is interesting is that I have not heard once, what each of them would do if they were in his shoes, I have not heard one positive comment out of any of their mouths. It's a pretty sad situation when the only thing they can come up with is to attack a good man instead of focusing on what they would do for this country if they were elected.

If the cougar wasn't in a good position for the tranquilizer, couldn't officers have waited until it was in a better position? Or was the cougar's life not worth waiting a few hours? I think we need more details of how long this whole episode lasted in order to know if they really did everything they could to save this cougar's life.

I am very confused. If you cannot get a clear shot with a tranquilizer gun they how would you with a normal gun. To me if you don't have a clear shot you don't have a clear shot. To me it seems total wrong to shot and kill a animal that is in the city unless it causing imediaty danger to the public. From what I understand there was no danger to anyone. Who knows how long the animal had been in the city so that tells me it was more then 5 mins. Why not try a tranquilizer dart and if I does go "Crazy" then shot an kill it. One more question is the animal was still alive when it was shot was it taken to a vet or to the zoo to see if it could of been saved. I doubt it seeing it was shot and killed in cold blood. We need a better plan for wild animals in the city so they are not shoot in the street and can be returned to wild. Animals get lost, lets help them find there way home.

if there is 20 to 25 sightings reported every year, then why didn't they have any nets?
couldn't they have cleared the area so that they could use the tranquilizer guns?
is there a protocol for dealing with cougars within city limits?

I was just wondering if they could get a clear enough shoot to kill the cougar why could they not have shot it with a tranqualizer and had another officer poised to shoot if the animal reacted. Professionals trained to fire a gun must be able to hit the target from several directions at once if desired. We have lost the value of life.

Though an avid animal lover, I support fully the decision to shoot to kill as opposed to tranquilizing. Cougars are among some of the only animals who consider humans good eating and I'm sure that it was only a matter of time before someone's child went missing as a direct result of the cat. If there had been any safe and certain way to make sure that the animal was removed from the city and relocated in an appropriate area I am sure it would have been taken. It is sad that it had to end this way but probably for the best.

I feel Mr Provencher should be fired on the spot. The animal was not acting in attack mode. Disgusting and if this is the judgement he has as a conservation officer he needs to be released of his duties.

If the conservation officers could not get a clear shot with a tranquilizer gun then how could they get a clear shot with a rifle? I, for one, am getting tired of government officials rushing to come up with lame excuses when someone in their department does something stupid. This animal did not need to die this way. But, I guess, the (lack of) conservation officers got their excuse and are probably "proudly" telling their buddies how they tracked down and killed a dangerous couger. Way to go guys! Whatever makes you feel like real men (in your own eyes!)!!!

Cougars are dangerous animals. There are innumerable accounts of these predators attacking humans. This situation should never have been taken lightly, and it wasn't. A tranqulizer may have been an option miles away from cities, towns, daycares, the public in general. Conservation officers have every right to use lethal force in extreme situations such as this one.
Those who feel 'sorry' for this dead cat, or are delusional and believe the animal had rights, should wake up and smell the fangs.

They could not get a clear shot with a tranquillzer, but could geta clear shot with a bullet!!!! give me a break. The killers(yes I said killers) should be charged.

What an awful picture to post--poor thing!

It bugs me when people go all PETA on events like this.

Tell you what, I have two young girls under the age of six that play in the backyard 5 blocks away from this event.

I will sing it from the rooftops. GREAT JOB!!!! THANKS FOR LOOKING OUT FOR MY KIDS!!!! Thanks for not taking this obviously hungry cat and putting it down (why did her end up in the middle of the city if he wasn't hungry?)

It could have been YOUR child or elderly parent this thing attacked.

It was the RIGHT call.

These people that are whining and pining over this cougar shooting should stop and think before they speak. The damage one of these BIG cats can do in a matter of seconds you cannot imagine. If YOU NIMBYs think you could have done better then get a job with the COs and then YOU can be the "s.m.r.t." one in the crowd. When you're the one willing to hold the net or shoot the tranquilizer gun, and hope that the animal doesn't turn on you or an innocent by-stander, then you can talk, until then...

Cougars, ladies and gentlemen, are not members of the the Kiwanis or Lions clubs. Given the opportunity, cougars will stalk their prey (4 footed or 2) and rarely if ever will you spot them until it is too late. These animals are born hunters. I would hope that my city would respond in exactly the same way.

Animals comfortable enough to nap in urban settings are a danger to themselves, and those around them. Any child who spotted this animal might mistake it for a 'kitty'. Not often in the wild do rabbits, deer and coyote introduce themselves to a cougar. If so - that animal is likely lunch.

Overpopulation started with US, not the animal in question, however we must recognize that outside their natural element these animals can become unpredictable and potentially dangerous. We either manage their populations, or be managed by them.

I'm only in grade 10 here in Saskatoon, but I understand the importance of this situation, and I understand how many different opinions people have over this shooting. But I think that they could have done something more about it besides shooting it right then and there. They could have used the tranqualizer gun first (They could deffinatly have had a clear shot, behind a tree or not, it's not like they haven't shot Cougars with tranqualizer's before.) And even if it did take a while, they would have had a reason after the tranq, to shoot it. If it did freak out, or take too long, then the would have a reason. They just shot it, while assuming that it WOULD freak out. They didnt give it a chance, and it bothers not only me, but many other people.

is just wrong.

I suspect that is simply too much bother to relocate an animal so they snuffed it.

Why did this beautiful creature die? Were the officers afraid and angry? What has caused such disrespect for our mother earth and all her amazing creatures?

We need to take care of our mother, she has been so good to us. She provides air to breathe, water to drink, all kinds of food to enjoy and the four directions for our journey.

Please take a moment to reflect on our good mother and send her some good energy. Pray, sing, or meditate, write a poem and say it to a tree.

Show your love for the home that we all share.

Truly, I moved to Toronto 12 years ago from South Eastern British Columbia. I sure do miss that clean air and water and the easy life. I did not know it at the time and I even took that mind-blowing scenery for granted.

Just a thought.

The Environment officer was right to kill the cougar when he had the opportunity. I hear a lot of people saying tranquilize it first then kill if necessary. I would like to see these people try to hit an angry and injured target moving 40mph in an urban setting without killing someone in the process. Clearly assinine thinking.

For those of you who believe you could have made a better choice in protecting our community, I suggest you join Sask Environment and do the dirty work yourself. Let's see how the city reacts when a preditor kills a group of kids, and you respond with 'at least we saved the animals life'.

Im in grade 9 and go to school in saskatoon. I think it was a horrible idea to just shoot it right away. they didnt even give it a chance. couldn't they have told every body aroung to go inside there houses and at least try to tranquiliz it. it probably wasnt even thinking of hurting anyone like seriously!! you didnt even give the poor thing a chance!!! it gets me mad when i hear stuff like this... are u saying every time thers is a wild animal in saskatoon your gonna kill it rather than trying to save its life? and when the loaded it up it was still breathing... suffering...thats not even humaine. Im an animal lover my borther traps but that doesnt get me as mad as this does cause he does it in a humaine way. come on get real the cougar was still breathing!!! this kind of stuff just pisses me off. when there is a convict they dont just shoot him/her even if they are a danger to the public. yea i know every one has a right to there own opion but im sorry but all of yous who think it was fine to just kill it you are wrong!!!!

I am a wildlife biologist and former zoo keeper at the Los Angeles Zoo. I've taken care of several large cat species. Looking at the photo of the research cougar that was shot a couple of weeks ago sure makes me wonder. The article says,"After the shooting, officials discovered the cougar had been collared as part of a study..." After the shooting? How could anyone possibly miss the very prominent collar and tracking device on the cat's neck? The cougar was resting under a tree on a resident's lawn. As others have noted, if the officers could not get a clean shot with a tranq. dart, how could they get a clear shot with a rifle? Obviously, they didn't if they had to hit the cougar three times and it was still breathing when thrown in the truck. I would sure think twice about shooting a cat with a collar like that if the animal was not behaving aggressively.

Sometimes, seeing a cat as big as a mountain lion elicits primal fears. The reaction of many upon seeing such an unrestrained wild animal up close can lead to hasty conclusions and shooting. Justifications come later. Shooting is not always the best way to handle the situation, especially if you have to hit the cougar three times to kill it. A lot can happen between three gunshots. Bystanders might be at risk and certainly the cougar suffered immensely.

There should be more definitive guidelines for how to handle wild animals, just as their are special policies for how to handle family disputes and gang activity. Law enforcement officers who answer cougar and bear calls would benefit greatly from training and more options than doing nothing or shooting the animal.

Fears about the cougar eating neighborhood children are unfounded. We are all more likely to get murdered by our own species, or hit and killed by a car, or mauled and even killed by a dog, than attacked by a mountain lion. Anyone can check the data on this.

Clearly, confronting cougars and bears is not something taught at the police academy. If sheriffs, police and highway patrol officers are expected to respond to wild animal calls in lieu of trained Dept. of Fish & Game Wardens or Animal Regulation Officers, then I think it is time that they receive proper training for such calls, including the use of tranquilizer guns. There is an impression that hitting an animal with a tranquilizer dart will send it on a murderous rampage. That is not the case; however, a backup officer can always stand by with a gun to cover the slight chance that an animal becomes dangerous when hit with the tranquilizer. Usually, darted animals are surprised and slink off to hide because they quickly begin to feel disoriented and woozy. They wish to conceal themselves, not attack anything. If they move a short distance before losing consciousness, they are pretty easy to track. Everyone can stay calm, keep back, and then approach the animal after it has become heavily sedated.

Several shots are almost always required to kill cougars and bears found lost in residential areas. I think there can be more public risk from officers shooting off multiple rounds at a moving animal that is afraid and in terrible pain and panic, than there is direct danger from the cougar or bear merely being in a residential area. Officers are not trained like game wardens or big game sharpshooters who can often bring down an animal quickly and humanely by knowing exactly where to shoot it. A ricochet also poses a real threat to bystanders.

Liability is may also be foremost in the minds of many officials, rather than a conservative approach that will keep a cougar or bear alive. Law enforcement may have orders to shoot wild animals rather than seek less lethal, creative options that require tranquilizers, calling humane officers, and/or transporting a large predator to a release site.

Perhaps citizens can propose a training course conducted by zoo veterinarians, Fish & Game wardens, or humane society wildlife officers to help prevent the increasing number of cougar and bear fatalities caused by law enforcement officers put in the awkward position of defending the public from a danger they are not well trained to evaluate. I think this is a skill set all the officers serving in regions with wild animals deserve to have as soon as possible. This will better protect the officers and the public, as well as the wild animals with whom we share forests and parkland.

Shame on cruel and heartless Provencher to slaughter such a beautiful and amazing animal close to extinction. Whatever a life belongs to a cat or a human, life means only once to either of them.

Would short eye-sighted people leave some valuable heritages to our children?

If They Had a clear shot with a actual gun then how come they didnt have a clear shot with the trankalizer??