That old cliche about firefighters saving cats from trees? It turns out that sometimes that does happen in real life.
And sometimes, that cat is an 80-pound cougar.
In Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, conservation officers were notified repeatedly about a cougar sighted in the area. Obviously it’s not safe for a cougar to be wandering around a populated area, so the conservation officers went looking. Eventually, the cougar ran toward the beach, and officers closed off the area and chased it up a tree (with the help of a dog).
Officers then tranquilized the big cat, and it fell asleep in the tree. But what do you do with a passed-out cat that weighs 80 pounds?
You call the fire department, of course!
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Firefighters from Victoria Firefighters Local 730 set up a ladder by the tree. A firefighter climbed the ladder, retrieved the cat, and carried it down on his shoulder. Then he laid the cat on a blanket and patted it on the head.
The department posted a video of the feat on Twitter.
“Our duty crews responded to a different type of rescue this evening, members assisted Conservation Officers and @vicpdcanada with the safe lowering of a tranquilized cougar from a tree along the Gorge. The big cat was taken by Conservation Officers for assessment,” the tweet read.
Our duty crews responded to a different type of rescue this evening, members assisted Conservation Officers and @vicpdcanada with the safe lowering of a tranquilized cougar from a tree along the Gorge. The big cat was taken by Conservation Officers for assessment. #yyjnews #iaff pic.twitter.com/F2HdoNWg9s
— Victoria Fire L-730 (@VictoriaFire730) April 27, 2019
The cougar is a healthy young male. Conservation officer Scott Norris told the Vancouver Sun that they often have to euthanize the animals out of a concern for human safety…but this cougar was in good condition, and officers opted to relocate him instead of euthanizing him.
They ear tagged him and released him back into the wilderness.
