Cougar shot and left near Cochrane has Fish and Wildlife looking for poacher

Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers are on the hunt for a poacher after a cougar was shot and its remains left in an area west of Cochrane, Alta., last month.

Wildlife officials say the animal ajuvenile that weighed around 45 kilograms was killed the afternoon of Feb. 21 just south of Ghost River.

The poacher left a pair of green and brown work gloves. Fish and Wildlife officials say a campfire was also left burning in the area.

Cougar season was closed at the time the animal was killed. It's also illegal in Alberta to abandon the skin of a mountain lion that has been hunted.

"Poaching is obviously illegal and dangerous, and it takes away wildlife that would otherwise remain part of the province's environment," saidFish and Wildlife officer Mark Hoskin in a statement.

If identified, the poacher could face a fine of $50,000 or one year in jail.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800 or file a report online.

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