VicPd responded to an unusual call Sunday night.
VicPd responded after receiving a report of a young cougar in the Esquimalt road and Lampson area Sunday night around 7:30 p.m.
The caller indicated they saw the cougar tracking a couple of deer in the urban area.
Police tracked the Cougar through several back yards and found it bedded down 3 metres from a residence and 400 metres away from Rockheights Middle School.
Sergeant Paul Brookes says VicPD didn't want to shoot the Big cat but didn't feel they any other options. "We can't really just go away and leave it and then if somebody ended up being harmed that would be irresponsible of us."
The conservation department was called and people in the area advised to stay in doors. "Given where it was there was no availability for conservation to tranquilize or deploy any resources for that so there was a single shot fire=d to dispatch the animal."
The Cougar is believed to be a year and a half to 2 years old and weighing about 100 pounds