A man described as a high-risk sex offender was found hiding in a wooded area of Stanley Park, Vancouver police say.

Dale Rolland Alexander was located shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday, just hours after officers announced he was missing.

A police dog helped track down the man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, and he was taken into police custody that night.

The search for Alexander began when he failed to return to his halfway house.

The Vancouver Police Department issued a statement about his disappearance, asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 911 immediately. The VPD did not say how they came to find out that he might be in Stanley Park, one of Vancouver's most popular destinations for tourists and locals.

Alexander is a two-time federal offender who has completed a jail sentence for offences including sexual assault, kidnapping and uttering threats, the VPD said.

Following his disappearance, police said he was wanted for breaking his long-term supervision order.

An LTSO is an option available to Canadian courts to extend the length of time an offender is supervised by Corrections Canada after their initial sentence is complete.

They're often issued in cases where a subject is considered to pose a significant risk to re-offend.