Critical Incident Review Report

Category of Incident: Dangerous Wildlife

1.

Date of Incident:

Sept 18, 2014

Report Number:

14-14738

Overview

On September 18, 2014, a cougar was within a few metres of the entrance and exit doors at the South Health
Campus in Calgary. Fish and Wildlife Officers were called to respond and euthanized the cougar out of concern for
public safety. To ensure proper procedures and protocols were followed, Minister Denis ordered a review into
the incident.
The review found that euthanizing the cougar was the most appropriate response to ensure public safety,
particularly as it was in an urban area. Cougars are large predators whose speed and agility can make them difficult
to contain and/or locate after being hit with a tranquilizer dart.
In incidents of cougars entering urban areas, officers refer to Alberta's cougar response matrix, which is a result of
collaboration between Fish and Wildlife Officers and problem wildlife specialists. According to the matrix, euthanizing
the cougar was an option because the animal failed to avoid humans or human-frequented locations and its presence
was a public safety risk. The review found this approach is consistent with that of other jurisdictions.
With the province's population growing and moving into areas that were once wildlife habitat, incidents such as this
are expected to continue, where large, predatory animals enter into urban areas and sometimes very close to
people. For these reasons, euthanizing these animals will likely continue in the interests of public safety and other
considerations such as the health of the animal and relocation options.
It remains paramount that the proper tactics and tools are used for the safety and well-being of all concerned, for
both people and animals. Accordingly, it is also recommended that this incident be used as a case study for officer
training purposes.

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Critical Incident Review Report

Category of Incident: Dangerous Wildlife

2.

Date of Incident:

Sept 18, 2014

Report Number:

14-14738

Incident Details

At 0735hrs on September 18, 2014 the Provincial Radio Control Center (PRCC) received a call from the Calgary Police
Service (CPS) reporting that a cougar had been observed in a stairwell at a construction site on Market Street near the
South Health Campus in Calgary. At 0738hrs, the PRCC received another report that a cougar was spotted at the South
Health Campus. The PRCC received two additional calls regarding cougars, all of which led CPS to assume there were
two cougars in the area. The Calgary Police Service received numerous 911 calls reporting cougar sightings.
In accordance with established call-back protocols, the PRCC contacted the nearest Fish and Wildlife Officer on duty,
who was in the Oyen area. That officer contacted another officer in Strathmore who was to start their shift at 0800hrs.
There were no officers on shift in Calgary at the time, but there were two on call for that area, and they were called in
to respond. An officer from Strathmore was also dispatched to assist.
It was approximately 0930hrs when the first Fish and Wildlife Officer arrived after picking up their patrol unit from a
Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch warehouse facility. CPS already had a number of officers at that location
watching the cougar near the entrance to the facility. The Calgary Police Service advised that a second team had
secured the construction site where another cougar was believed to be in a stairwell.
The area surrounding the South Health Campus had been cleared of people and the perimeter secured to restrict
public access (Fig 1). Two parks conservation officers were on scene at the request of CPS to assist with containing the
cougar. The Calgary Fire Department was present with two ladder trucks positioned to observe the animal. The CPS
helicopter was dispatched to observe the area from above.
In cooperation with CPS patrol and the CPS tactical team, Fish and Wildlife Officers prepared a plan to deal with the
cougar. Branch officers requested that security personnel from the health facility clear the public from windows on the
first and second floors to ensure their safety. All floors above were occupied and officers were aware that a number of
people were watching the situation develop and using various electronic devices to capture the event on video.

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New building construction

Photo 15

Strip Mall
Photo 17

Hotel construction
Photo 14
Cougar location
Photos 1-10
New Construction area
Photos 11-13

Fire Hall
Photo 18

Indicates roads
blocked by CPS

Fig 1
See Appendix 1 for site photos. Source: Google Maps.

Fish and Wildlife Officers initial plan was to immobilize the cougar using tranquilizing equipment. Police vehicles
were parked to form a funnel to channel the cougar to the south of the building and away from the populated
residential area if it ran. The CPS tactical team was positioned on fire department ladder trucks for backup if
required.
The cougar was concealed when officers approached. Officer 'A' had loaded a tranquilizer rifle with a dart containing
Telazol and Rompun. Officer 'B' was armed with a shotgun with 1 ounce slugs, while Officer 'C' carried a .17 HMR that
fires a light, frangible bullet that is often used in urban environments to ensure public safety. Officers approached to
within five feet of the cougar before they could see it in the tall grass. Officer 'A' took aim and pulled the trigger in an
attempt to dart the animal. The rifle did not discharge because the safety was engaged. Officer 'C' believed the
tranquilizer rifle had malfunctioned, and as the cougar got up to leave cover, Officer 'C' placed a shot from the .17 HMR
to the back of the cougars head. The shot knocked the animal down but failed to kill it. Officer 'C' transitioned to his
duty pistol and shot the cougar once in the head. Officer 'B' then administered a killing shot with his shotgun.
The incident was captured on video from the third floor of the South Health Campus and posted on YouTube and
CBC.ca/news (links below). It is important to note that the view from above does not represent what Fish and
Wildlife Officers saw from their situation on the ground. When officers first approached the area they werent certain
the cougar was still there because it was concealed in the tall grass.
The incident generated significant media attention and the graphic nature of the video prompted an emotional
response from some members of the public. Reactions ranged from harshly critical to fully supportive of the officers
actions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHyg_zoC6w
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cougar-in-calgary-killed-after-prowling-outside-hospital-1.2770187
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3.

Background Information

Cougar Response Matrix in Alberta

The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch employs a standard response protocol for dealing with large carnivores such
as cougars (Appendix 2: Cougar Response Matrix in Alberta).
Cougar Management in Alberta:
Environment and Sustainable Resource Development establishes hunting seasons for cougar in order to maintain viable
populations, provide hunting opportunities, mitigate conflicts with people and livestock and manage predation on wild
ungulates (Appendix 3: Management Plan for Cougars in Alberta).
Fish and wildlife officers respond to a number of cougar-related complaints each year (Fig 2). Please note that
numbers for 2014/2015 do not reflect an entire year.
represent a partial year.
700
600
500

1999/2000

400

2002/2003

300

2005/2006

200

2008/2009

100

2011/2012

2014/2015

Fig 2
Cougar Occurrences 1999-2014
Human Injury category includes one in 2005/2006, two in 2011/2012 and three in 2014/2015

Alberta has a robust cougar population, evidenced by government personnel, professional wildlife managers and
members of the public who are detecting cougars in areas where they have not been seen in decades. Cougars are
adaptable and tend to give birth to many young. With the rise in deer and small mammal populations in Alberta,
predator populations, including cougars, wolves, coyotes and black bears, are healthy.
Cougar hunting seasons begin on November 1st each year for residents of Alberta, and December 1st for non-residents.
The season remains open until the last day of February or when the Cougar Management Area (CMA) quota is
reached. Each of the 36 CMAs has a specific harvest target. A person who is the owner or occupant of privately owned
land may at any time of the year hunt, but not trap, cougar on subject lands without a licence. Under that authority
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the animal must be registered within one week of the kill (Appendix 4: Cougar Hunting in Alberta, or-http://
mywildalberta.com/Hunting/GameSpecies/CougarHuntingAlberta/documents/CougarHuntingInAlberta-Oct2013.pdf).

Last year a total of 237 cougars were recorded killed in Alberta (Appendix 5: The 2013 Cougar Mortality in Alberta
Report). The known annual mortality of cougars has steadily increased since 1971 (Fig 3)
http://mywildalberta.com/Hunting/GameSpecies/CougarHuntingAlberta/documents/CougarMortalityAlberta-2012-2013.pdf).

300

Native Hunting

250

Nonresident Hunting
Resident Hunting

200

Self Defense
Road/Train Kill

150

Problem Wildlife
Natural
Landowner

100

Other
Illegal

50

Found Dead
Accidental Trap

71
19

75
19

79
19

83
19

87
19

91
19

95
19

99
19

03
20

07
20

11
20

Fig 3
Annual Cougar Mortality in Alberta from 1971 to Present

Fish and Wildlife Officers are required to euthanize wildlife in the course of their regular duties. Injured wildlife,
nuisance or problem animals and wildlife that pose a danger may compel an officer to kill an animal in the
public interest. Seventy one per cent of all animals euthanized were injured wildlife or road injured wildlife.
(Table 1).
Species
Ungulates
Black Bear
Grizzly Bear
Cougar
Wolf
Coyote
Other
Total

2009/10
673
162
0
19
8
51
166
1079

Critical Incident Review Report

2010/11
739
193
1
26
9
26
183
1180

2011/12
2012/13
594
665
304
117
2
0
45
16
11
4
50
55
188
174
1194
1031
Table 1
Page 5

2013/14
690
133
3
16
3
27
205
1077

2014/15
151
84
2
9
4
10
79
337

Total
3512
993
8
131
39
219
995
5898

Protocols for Responding to Dangerous Wildlife in Other Jurisdictions

During this review, four jurisdictions provided information about their protocols specific to the control of cougars in
urban settings.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is experiencing an increase in cougar occurrences. Cougars in urban environments remain rare in
Saskatchewan; however, the last incident of a cougar in an urban area of Saskatoon resulted in the animal being
euthanized. Saskatchewan has no documented protocol to respond to cougars in urban areas.
British Columbia
Cougar complaints in British Columbia are first assessed by an operator at a provincial call centre. Using a flow chart to
determine next steps, the operator may direct the call to a conservation officer for a response or an additional risk
assessment. An officer will euthanize a cougar if it attacks pets, livestock, is aggressive towards people or if it is situated
in a confined area. Although every situation is different, a cougar that shows signs of habituation to people or places
(e.g. buildings) may be assessed as an elevated risk level warranting a lethal response. If a situation is assessed as low
risk (natural behaviour), officers may take no action and communicate that message to the public. It is standard
operating procedure to use hounds to tree a cougar before making any attempts to tranquilize it. In most situations,
officers are required to leash dogs to track down and recover an immobilized cougar. British Columbia authorities do
not recommend tranquilizing a free-ranging cougar without dogs. British Columbia will not relocate problem cougars.
Arizona
All cougars captured in the State of Arizona are euthanized. Officers shoot free-ranging cougars if there is a possibility
of them escaping a containment area. They may choose to tranquilize an animal (and euthanize it later) if escape from
a containment area is unlikely and the situation is in public view.
Montana
The State of Montana has had a policy since 1991 that addresses responses to cougar complaints. Any cougar
discovered in an urban environment is immediately removed. When deciding on the best course of action, officers take
into account a number of factors, including population density (human), behaviour of the cougar, etc. Although some
animals are immobilized, in most situations cougars are shot.
Officer Training and Oversight
Before being considered for employment, Fish and Wildlife Officer candidates require a minimum two-year diploma
in the natural sciences from a recognized institution, which includes wildlife management and problem wildlife
management courses. Most officers in the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch have a four-year applied degree in
conservation law enforcement along with additional related experience prior to being hired.
Fish and Wildlife Officer recruits receive approximately 40 hours training at the academy in problem wildlife control.
In addition, they are required to pass a chemical immobilization course (24-hours) administered by a veterinarian
affiliated with the Canadian Veterinary Association. The course includes training on how to euthanize animals in
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accordance with established animal care guidelines. Officers must pass an eight-hour recertification course every three
years. All Fish and Wildlife Officers are required to pass an 80-hour firearms course for pistol, rifle and shotgun and
recertify annually at a 20-hour recertification session.
The Alberta Peace Officer Program, administered by Justice and Solicitor General, regulates the law enforcement
element of the Branchs program while the internal command structure ensures oversight of all operations, including
problem wildlife control.
The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch operates in four regions across the province. Each region has a problem
wildlife specialist who is available for consultation and to assist in responding to serious incidents involving problem
wildlife. The Branch also has several bear response team leaders that specialize in responding to grizzly bear
occurrences and serious black bear incidents.
All officers involved in the Calgary cougar incident were up to date with their training and certifications.
4.

Incident Findings

Using the Cougar Response Matrix in Alberta, the cougar in the Calgary case fit into the Condition B category as a
habituated animal, as follows:
The cougars presence and or actions create the potential for public safety or property damage. The cougar at
this point has not had any actual physical contact with humans or property. When a cougar approaches
humans or remains in human-frequented areas, and displays behaviours that are a cause for public safety
concerns and fails to avoid humans or human frequented locations and structures.
In this classification euthanizing the animal is an option. The cougars tendency to remain in an area frequented by
people and inside a construction site placed it in the Habituated classification. The area was contained and well
controlled with respect to public access. Euthanizing the animal fell within policy and was done in a manner to ensure
public and officer safety. All firearms were discharged in a safe manner.
The good intentions of the officers to attempt to tranquilize a free-ranging cougar in an urban environment were
misguided and came as a direct result of pressure, real and perceived, placed on them by the public, media and
political/social factors. In such situations, officers often feel compelled to conduct a soft catch of an animal rather than
euthanize it on scene in public view. This review has confirmed that in other jurisdictions, they believe the safest and
most effective way to respond to a cougar in an urban setting is to euthanize the animal using a suitable firearm.
The attempt to tranquilize the animal failed because the trigger safety was engaged, which prevented the rifle
from firing the tranquilizer dart. The malfunction was attributed to officer error. Following the failed attempt to
immobilize the cougar, a second officer made the decision to euthanize the animal to prevent it from escaping the
confinement area.
A necropsy conducted on the cougar indicated that the first shot taken with the .17 HMR was a well-placed head shot;
however, the bullet did not have sufficient mass to penetrate the skull. The intent of a head shot is to cause trauma to
the central nervous system to immediately incapacitate and kill the animal. The second shot from the .40 calibre pistol
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hit the head but was ineffective due to shot placement. The third shot fired from the shotgun incapacitated the
animal and killed it. The Canadian Council of Animal Care Guideline #43 (Appendix 8), describes the method for
euthanizing animals with firearms. The guideline states that, a shot to the brain of an animal produces a quick and
humane death; it is best attempted when the animal is immobilized by injury or physical restraint. In free ranging
situations a successful shot to the brain may be difficult to achieve and may result in accidental injury to the animal.
Under these conditions a shot to the heart and lung area may be more appropriate.
The cougar was concealed in tall grass cover, compelling officers to
engage in dangerously close proximity (photos 4-9). Although a
vehicle could have been used to get closer to the animal (rather
than approaching on foot), officers ruled out that option because
they felt it could have prompted the cougar to flee from the
containment area. A Calgary Fire Department ladder truck could
have been used to gain another vantage point likely a better
option if the cougar made an aggressive move towards them.
Photo courtesy of CBC News.
Cougar necropsy
The cougar carcass was submitted to the University of Calgary for necropsy. Toxicology reports were not available at
the time of writing; therefore, this is a preliminary report only (Appendix 7). The necropsy report speaks to the
general health of the animal and the location and effect of the gunshots.
Equipment used
Officers responded to this incident using a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with slugs, a .40 calibre Glock pistol, a .17 HMR
rifle and tranquilizing rifle equipment.
The .17 HMR rifle should not be used for large carnivores (Appendix 9). The Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage
in Alberta Manual recommends a rifle calibre of .243 or larger to be used for a cougar (Appendix 10). The Response to
Cougar Conflicts Manual that forms part of the Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy training program
does not recommend shooting a cougar in the head because the shape of a cougars skull can cause a bullet to deflect
if the shot is high (Appendix 11).
Cougars will move away from a location after being hit with a tranquilizing dart. The speed and agility of a cougar can
make it difficult to locate the animal after being been hit with a dart. British Columbian authorities will not attempt to
tranquilize a free-ranging cougar, and will only do so when treed and when trained dogs arr on site and ready to track
the animal when it flees. Depending on the dosage of drug, the injection site and the cougars physiology (presence of
adrenaline), immobilizing drugs may take a few to several minutes to take effect.
Suitable drug injection sites for immobilizing wildlife vary among species. The target areas for cougars are indicated in
black (Fig 4). Injury to muscle or tissue caused by the injection of a drug can be significant. In the Calgary example, the
situation of the cougar in tall grass would have made it extremely difficult to hit a suitable target site.
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Fig 4
Suitable injection site for a cougar
rd
Chemical Immobilization of Wildlife 3 Edition, Canadian Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians

There are a number of variables to consider when deciding to tranquilize a cougar. One is the ability to locate the
animal after it has been tranquilized. In most successful cases the cougar is well confined and hounds are available to
track the animal. The most important factor to consider is whether or not tranquilizing a cougar will increase the risk
to public safety. Although tranquilizing an animal may be the most palatable option to some members of the public, it
is not recommended because it comes with significant risks and there are many factors that could drastically change
the outcome of a situation. As well as the social justification common in urban areas of the province to refrain from
euthanizing cougars and other wildlife, the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch also experiences significant
opposition from rural residents and agricultural producers when cougars and other species of wildlife are relocated
from urban environments to the countryside. Additionally, there is no biological reason for immobilizing and
relocating cougars in Alberta. The population is healthy.
This review finds that the attempt to immobilize the free-ranging cougar in the Calgary situation was not a viable
option for the following reasons:

The cougar was on the ground and free-ranging.

The animal was habituated to human activity.

The cougar was concealed in tall grass cover and could not be seen from ground level.

Generally, cougars will attempt to escape the area after being tranquilized.

Escape of the animal from that location would have been an unacceptable outcome.

A residential neighbourhood was located north of the South Health Campus location and the cougar was
exhibiting habituated behaviour (frequenting buildings and demonstrating a lack of fear of humans).

The proximity of the cougar to the officers placed officers at significant risk.

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The tall grass may have prevented proper shot placement of a tranquilizing dart. Darts often result in injury to
the animal.

The drug may not have had the desired effect and the cougar could have escaped.

A wounded animal is a dangerous animal. If it had escaped wounded, it would have created a dangerous
situation in close proximity to residential neighbourhoods.

There is always potential that the dart could dislodge from the animal and be lost, thus representing another
public safety risk.

There was considerable discussion about the possibility of hazing the cougar away from the building; however,
that option was dismissed based on the possibility of the animal entering into a more populated residential
area.

The Calgary Police Service helicopter was on scene and had an aerial view of the situation. It is equipped with FLIR
thermal imaging equipment. Had the animal escaped the area, the helicopter could have been utilized to track the
cougar; however, a priority call for the machine would have quickly removed it from the operation.
It was three hours between the time Fish and Wildlife Officers received the first report of the cougar and the time it
was euthanized. Fish and Wildlife Officers work irregular hours in order to provide optimum coverage. In this
situation, the first officer on the scene had worked into the early morning hours the previous night. Other officers
were on days off or not scheduled to start until later in the day. One officer travelled from Strathmore into Calgary to
assist. All officers responded as soon as they could. Rush hour traffic contributed to the delay. With the current
manpower situation in Calgary, such limitations are a reality. For more information, refer to:

All Personnel Memorandum APM-O-12 - Fish and Wildlife Officer Expectations During Standby Duty (Appendix
12)

All Personnel Memorandum APM-O-17 - Fish and Wildlife Officer on Call Expectations during Designated Status
(Appendix 13).

Some members of the public perceive that officers never intended to tranquilize the cougar because there was no trap
or cage at the scene. Although the absence of a trap would have prompted some logistical issues, officers would have
been able to safely transport the animal to a warehouse facility by physically restraining it and administering additional
immobilizing drugs until it could have been placed into a trap.
Witness Interviews and General Correspondence
Four members of the public were interviewed about this incident; two who had witnessed the incident, one who
called to report the cougar sighting and another who viewed videos of the event online. That witness was
positioned at an upper story window at the South Health Campus where the video footage was taken (Appendix
6: witness statements). The common themes taken from the interviews, the letters received from the public and
online commentaries include:

Some members of the public did not perceive the cougar as a threat.

Some people believe a tranquilizer should have been used.

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Some members of the public belief a net could have been used to capture the cougar.

Many expressed concern that in the absence of a cage or trap, officers had planned to kill the cougar rather
than immobilize it.

Many were upset because it took three shots fired at close range to kill the cougar.

5.

Recommendations:

Prepare an Operational Directive identifying appropriate firearms for individual species.

In light of protocols from other jurisdictions, this report is recommending these changes to the Cougar Response
Matrix of Alberta: the matrix should no longer include tranquilizing the animal as an option, and instead, the matrix
should direct officers to either euthanize the animal or leave it alone depending on the circumstances.

Ensure a response plan is developed prior to deployment and that all team members are familiar with their roles.
Identify a lead officer to administer lethal control and ensure shots are not fired in close proximity to other
officers, as was the case in this incident.

Ensure officers consider alternate approaches to dangerous wildlife rather than approaching on foot. In this
case, the cougar could have been approached by vehicle or accessed from a window above.

Develop publicly available information on management of human/wildlife conflict.

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List of Appendices
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Photos of scene
Cougar Response Matrix Guidelines and Chart
Management Plan for Cougars in Alberta
Cougar Hunting in Alberta
2013 Cougar Mortality in Alberta
Witness Statements/Information
Necropsy Report
Canadian Council of Animal Care Guideline 43
Recommendations on Use of the 17 HMR by Fish and Wildlife Officers

Problem wildlife manual - Cougar, Lynx and Bobcat

Response to Cougar Conflicts - Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy

All Personnel Memorandum APM-0-12
All Personnel Memorandum APM-O-17

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