This morning, at approximately 4:20 a.m., members of the Rocky Mountain House RCMP Detachment were dispatched to a 911 report that cougar was observed walking down Main Street within the town, near an elementary school, which posed a significant risk to the safety of the community.

Members quickly located the cougar in the downtown area and it eventually climbed into a tree near École Rocky Elementary School. Given the concern for public safety and that the cougar was near an elementary school where young children would be in attendance this morning, the police consulted with a Government of Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer on how best to deal with the situation.

The safety concerns presented by the cougar’s presence in the town was an important factor in determining that shooting it was a viable course of action and that this was the recommendation provided to the police by Alberta Fish and Wildlife.

The cougar was put down with a single shot by police.

No one was injured in this incident.