Prince Harry and Meghan Markle warned to lock down home amid lion sightings

Harry and Meghan have been warned that there is a mountain lion in their neighbourhood. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a new potential enemy to deal with.

The former senior royals have received a warning about a mountain lion roaming around their neighbourhood and have been ordered to lockdown their US$14.6 million (NZ$23.2m) mansion in Montecito, California, reports the Daily Mail.

Following sightings by neighbours, the couple were advised to keep their home shuttered and allegedly told their chickens are an easy target for the animal, suspected to be roaming a mere eight kilometres away from their house.

It comes after an outdoor security camera spotted the large animal prowling around rubbish bins and past a car in a driveway.

Experts suspect the lion may be in search of food and water as California is currently being crippled by drought, explaining why the lion is in the populated area instead of its preferred home in the hills.

A source told the Sun, "There are all kinds of animals in the neighbourhood - 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."

They added that while people generally feel safe during the day, they're making sure to take precautions at night.

Executive director of the Montecito Association, Sharon Byrne, told residents to "secure their homes and secure their chicken coops and whatever other animals they may have."

She went on to say, "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.

As for how the Montecito Association is planning to handle the situation, Byrne said, "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."