A cougar that was tranquilized and rescued from a tree has been relocated in the wild.
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A cougar that was tranquilized and rescued Friday from a tree near Victoria has been relocated in the wild.A video posted on social media shows a Victoria firefighter climbing down a ladder from the tree with the giant cat slung over his shoulder.Conservation officer Scott Norris said they received sightings as early as Wednesday of a cougar in Esquimalt and then again Thursday night near the Gorge.He said at around 3 p.m. Friday, Victoria police saw it run toward the beach. Police dogs then chased it until it climbed up a tree.Conservation officers and firefighters attended and they tranquilized the cat, which then fell asleep in the tree.“We then moved in to safely bring the young male out of the tree,” said Norris.He added that while often they need to euthanize the animals out of a concern for safety, he said a decision was made to relocate the healthy, young male cougar.He said the approximately 80-pound cougar was in good condition, and released safely.ticrawford@postmedia.comOur 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