Cougar warning issued for Victoria's Thetis Lake Regional Park

Victoria-area residents are being warned that a cougar has been spotted near Thetis Lake Regional Park.

Dewain Emrich was out for a run on the weekend when he thought he spotted a dog in the Capital Regional District park.

"And as I got closer I saw that it was a big dog and as I got closer it wasn't a dog, it was a cougar and that's when I stopped," said Emrich.

Warning signs have been posted in the area advising dogs should be kept on-leash and people should travel in pairs.