Feral Spartacat Tranquilized, Captured After 113 Day Escape

Spartacat chasing Park Wildlife Officials Monday morning.

Wildlife Officials had to fire 7 tranquilizers into Sparty to immobilize him.

Ottawa - The spunky Spartacat mascot for the Ottawa Senators hockey team was tranquilized and brought back for active duty yesterday after park officials tracked and found the feral beast in Gatineau Park. Having reverted into a feral cat state during the NHL lockout which lasted 113 days, Spartacat has been living in the wild capturing deer and small rabbits to survive according to wildlife sepcialists hired to track Sparty. "We spotted his large, goofy footprints in the freshly fallen snow, and tracked him  to a clearing in the woods where he was feasting on a rabbit he had just captured in his furry, lovable maw." explained Gatineau Wildlife Ranger Claudette Laroque. "After circling Sparty we fired a tranquilizer into his plush eye, at which point he grew irritated and started to chase us through the woods." said Laroque.

A sedated Spartacat is brought in for mascot duty.

During the 113 day NHL lockout, which left Spartacat unemployed and without a home, the zany Sens mascot retreated into the wilderness where he reverted into a feral cat state. Unable to use his t-shirt cannon to immobilize prey for eating, Spartacat used his plush fangs and oversized paws to capture food and survive in the Gatineau Park wilderness until being captured Monday afternoon.

Once park wildlife officials were able to land a few tranquilizer darts into Sparty, he succumbed to the relaxant drug, and was carted off by officials from the Ottawa Senators hockey franchise and returned to Scotiabank Place for remedial goofiness training. With the NHL hockey season starting soon, Sparty will be joining his teammates in preparing to entertain the crowds of fans that will soon fill Scotiabank Place again. "We hope to have Spartacat back to his crazy old self soon enough." Sens Entertainment Manager Glen Stitts remarked. "Once we get him back on steady diet of egg-rolls and into zany training, he'll be dancing to Gangnam Style for the fans in no time."