Children at Sir James Douglas School in Fairfield were ushered inside a little Thursday morning after a possible cougar sighting in the area.

Victoria police spokesman Const. Mike Russell said there were reports of a cougar at Moss Rock and Ross Bay Cemetery at 6:30 and 7:30 a.m.

Last Friday, a man said he saw a cougar in neighbouring James Bay —  at Montreal Avenue and Simcoe Street.

Nearby James Bay Community School was put on high alert. Children were kept indoors during breaks and parents were warned via email. There were no additional reports of a cougar until Thursday.

While urban and residential areas are not common spots for cougars, the big cats are not completely unfamiliar in this area.

In 1989, a young woman was in her James Bay basement suite when a cougar jumped through the window. She hid in the closet before pursuing animal-control officers arrived and had to shoot the animal.

In 1992, a cougar wandered into the parkade at the Fairmont Empress Hotel and was eventually tranquilized.

And in James Bay in 1998, a wandering cougar walked through an open door at Scott Plastics. That cougar was also tranquilized.

© Copyright 2013