Victoria Cougar sighting has pet owners wary in upscale Oak Bay

A cougar spotted early on aThanksgiving weekend morning in Victoria has pet owners wary of letting dogs or cats out alone, even as they rush to make gravy or watch the Blue Jays.

"The animal was described as chunky, but not a deer," said Sgt. Chris Goudie, of Oak Bay Police in an emailthis morning.

Police said the caller sighted the odd animal from their apartment building and called police around 3:20 a.m. PT.

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The feline was last seen walkingsouth near Beach Drive in Victoria, B.C., but police could not find it.

This spotting comes after a rash of sightings, several in the early morning on Friday, Oct. 9.

Last week acougar was seen by police near Camosun College's Landsdowne campus in the early morning.

The big cat was seen walking into the trees near a parking lot close to Foul Bay Rd.

"The animal in question appeared healthy and had no obvious injuries" Sgt. Steve Eassieof Saanich Police said in a press release. "It did not show any signs of aggression or predatory behaviour ... and was likely wandering from green space to green space in search of food."