Parks Canada service horse shot and killed on government-owned Alberta ranch

Alberta RCMP are investigating the shooting death of a horse at the federally-owned Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in Clearwater County. (RCMP handout)

CALGARY -

RCMP are investigating the shooting death of a horse at a southern Alberta ranch.

An employee at the federally-owned Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in Clearwater County found the horse dead on Tuesday.

Fish and Wildlife officers determined the horse was shot in the chest with a large-caliber rifle sometime between Saturday and Monday.

The horse was a service horse that was still in active duty.

"Parks Canada trains all of its service horses at Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, the only federally-owned working ranch in Canada," Sundre RCMP said a Thursday news release.

RCMP say a preliminary investigation indicates the horse was standing in thick spruce trees slightly elevated from where the shot was taken, some 150 to 200 metres away.

Officers noted that elk season is currently open and the area where the shooting happened is a "common zone used by elk hunters."

"Due to the circumstances surrounding this incident, there is the possibility that this was an accident due to mistakenly believing the horse was a game animal." police said.

Sundre RCMP are encouraging the person or people responsible to come forward and speak with them, or for anyone with information about the incident to call their detachment at 403-638-3655.

Tips can also be left anonymously through Crime Stoppers.