Police in Victoria had to put down a cougar that was found for the second time on Tuesday in the busy Selkirk Waterfront area.

"We understand that people may feel strongly about this animal and its well-being, and we can assure you that this decision was not made lightly; this was a difficult decision for the officers involved," the Victoria Police Department statement read.

Officers responded just before 4 p.m. yesterday to an additional report of a full-grown cougar in the middle of a park. The cougar was initially seen just before 5 a.m. in the same area.

Given the close proximity to a school and preschool during care hours, the amount of people and residences in the area, and the amount of time it would take for Conservation officers to arrive, police say the risk to public safety was determined to be high and a decision was made to dispatch the cougar.

Over the past few years, cougars have been seen numerous times in or around Victoria, including separate cats prowling the James Bay neighbourhood near the B.C. Legislature in 2015 and again in 2017.