LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Police have shot and killed a cougar they say was prowling in a Lethbridge, Alta., subdivision on Saturday.

Local police say the animal -- which was roughly two metres long -- posed a threat to public safety.

They say a witness saw the cougar jump a two-metre fence from an alley into someone's backyard.

Police say dispatchers tried to call Alberta Fish and Wildlife, but there was no answer, so they notified local residents of the situation and officers went in.

They say the officers were "faced with an aggressively posturing cougar just yards away," and had no choice but to kill it because it posed a significant threat.

Police say an officer fired a single shot, and the animal died.

A fish and wildlife officer arrived at the scene after the cougar was euthanized and took the animal's body for further examination.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2021.

The Canadian Press