The ranger hesitated. “Not yet. But if it keeps coming back to populated areas, the department might start seeing it as a safety risk. You know how it goes. Once an animal’s considered habituated…” He stopped short, watching her face.
Catherine finished for him, her voice barely above a whisper. “They put it down.” “Only if there’s no alternative,” the younger ranger said quickly. “No one wants that. But it’s better than waiting for someone to get hurt.”