Police are advising Huntsville residents to be careful after two cougars were sighted on Thursday.

The first sighting happened around 5:30 a.m. on Highway 11, about five kilometres north of South Mary Lake Road. The animal was seen in the centre median.

Then around 10:30 a.m. OPP were made aware of cougar on the rail tracks on Payne Drive behind KWH Piping. Members of Huntsville Fire saw the cougar running toward Hunters Bay Trail. An extensive search of the area was done by the OPP and firefighters with negative results.

Police are asking residents to exercise caution when outdoors, not to try and capture the animal, seek a safe location and stay there and call police.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has been made aware of the cougar sightings in Huntsville and will continue to monitor it.