Prince Harry and Meghan's home and safe space threatened by stealthy predators

Prince Harry and Meghan's home in Montecito, California is currently threatened by mountain lions who have been brought closer to residential areas because of drought.

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live in a  $14 million Santa Barbara mansion with their children, Lilibet and Archie. 
• Warnings have been issued near to the family home about a potential wildlife threat.
• In other royal news, Princess Anne wows in smart navy blazer inspired by Kate Middleton's recent nautical look.

At the end of July, a mountain lion - which is also known as a cougar or a puma - was spotted just five miles away from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's mansion. 

Earlier in the year, it was revealed that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s lavish mansion was under threat after Santa Barbara issued a drought warning. It has been reported that this animal is likely roaming around these residential areas in an attempt to find water or food, as drought conditions continue in the area.

According to The Sun, Sharon Byrne, executive director of the Montecito Association revealed that the mountain lion roaming the area is unlikely to pose a real threat to inhabitants, but could be a possible danger to pets.

"We don’t know if the mountain lion is male or female. That part of Montecito is a very rural, very mountainous area, the kind of habitat for mountain lions. There’s a drought on here in California so he or she was probably looking for water and whatever food could be scavenged, so that’s why they headed to where people live," said Sharon.

The executive director added that there had only been one sighting, but still, residents should ensure to secure their homes. 

"So far, all we have is this one sighting. But the fact we have security footage shows that residents are taking this seriously as it was shot by a camera which is what we’ve been urging residents to install. We want all locals to secure their homes and secure their chicken coops and whatever other animals they may have. Chickens can be a fast, easy source of food for hunting animals so they have to be safe and secure," Sharon added, "We also urge residents to secure their garbage so animals can go rummaging around for scraps, to have night lighting, alarms, cameras and so on."

Sharon concluded by saying this threat was most likely minor, and the animal should move on of its own accord. "Mountain lions are solitary creatures and ultimately, they don’t want to be around people so we’re hoping this one moves on by itself," she said.

Are mountain lions dangerous?

Mountain lions are predators and are inherently dangerous because they are unpredictable wild animals. In the past 14 years, two people have been killed by mountain lions. In 2018, two people were killed on different occasions while biking and hiking. One was aged 32 and the other aged 55.

In the California area, the last fatal attack from a mountain lion took place in 2004 when a 35-year-old man was killed. In Montecito specifically, the last mountain lion attack was in 1992 when a nine-year-old was mauled and needed 600 stitches.

The National Parks Service reassures people that mountain lions are not dangerous. "Although lion attacks are rare, they are possible, as is injury from any wild animal. Even so, the potential for being killed or injured by a mountain lion is quite low compared to many other natural hazards," says the website.

If confronted with a mountain lion, the official advice from the government is to stay calm, do not approach the lion, do not crouch or bend and do not run away. Instead, make eye contact with them, stay still and give them space to escape from you.

Although any interaction with this wild animal is unlikely for the Sussex family, this is yet another concern for their home that the couple is dealing with. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were plagued with several serious security breaches at their Californian home earlier this year as intruder alarms have been triggered twice.