Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Ordered To Lock Down $14M Mansion After Mountain Lion Was Seen Prowling Their Neighbourhood In California

Prince Harry and his family has been ordered to lock down their $14.6 mansion in the celebrity enclave of Montecito after a mountain lion was sighted just five miles away from where they live.

In a shocking video filmed by a security camera and shared here, the beast can be seen skulking down a homeowner's driveway, past his bins and his car, before heading off into the distance.

Experts suggested the lion may have headed down from the hills in search of food and water amid the widespread drought crippling California.

Sharon Byrne, executive director of the Montecito Association which counts Harry, 37, and Meghan, 41, as members, said: “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.”

“So far, all we have is this one sighting.”

“But the fact we have security footage shows though 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.”

“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.”

“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.”

Harry and Meghan joined the hipster craze of adopting rescue chickens during the pandemic.

They also have two rescue dogs to look out for, which could also be targeted by the mountain lion.

The footage, has terrified locals who fear the beast could attack their children or pets.

The homeowner who took it had only recently installed the camera after a request from local authorities.

One local told the Sun: “There are all kinds of animals in the neighborhood - coyotes, bears and deer - but it's rare to see a mountain lion.”

“We're in a drought so the animals are thirsty but also there have been fires and a mudslide in recent years which seems to have brought down the bigger animals.”

“People in the area feel safe during the day but they're taking precautions during the night.”

A mountain lion last killed a human in California in 2004 when a 35-year-old man was mauled to death at Whiting Ranch Regional Park in Orange County.

The last victim in the Montecito area was in 1992, when a nine-year-old boy was attacked at Gaviota State Park.

He lived but was littered with 50 puncture wounds and needed 600 stitches.

The concerning update comes just a week after Meghan celebrated her 41st birthday with her family in the area.