A young cougar was found on Vancouver Island suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg and chest, with a badly broken leg.

Officials were forced to euthanize the animal due to the extent of its injuries. The shooter never came forward. No one reported the incident.

Now, The Fur-Bearers — a Canadian charity — are offering a $1,000 reward for information. But the public deserves more than a reward poster. We deserve answers, accountability, and meaningful wildlife protections.

While cougar hunting is legal in British Columbia, it is regulated by strict rules: licensed hunters must report their kills, follow seasonal limits, and stay within designated zones. What happened in Port Alberni appears to violate both the spirit and the letter of those laws. Worse, the failure to report the shooting raises serious questions about how wildlife regulations are enforced — and how often people get away with harming protected animals without consequence.

This is not just about one cougar. It’s about the systems that fail to protect wildlife from illegal harm, and the message we send when no one is held accountable.

We call on the BC Conservation Officer Service and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to take the following actions:

• Publicly commit to a full investigation into the shooting of this cougar, including potential violations of the BC Wildlife Act.
• Pursue charges if the shooter is identified and found to be in violation of provincial hunting laws.
• Strengthen public awareness and enforcement around mandatory reporting of wildlife shootings — and increase penalties for failure to report.
   

No animal should be left to suffer, shot and abandoned. And no one should be able to injure or kill wildlife illegally without facing consequences.

British Columbians care deeply about the natural world — and we expect our provincial leaders to reflect that. Sign this petition to demand justice for this cougar, and better protection for all of BC’s wild animals.