Mountain lion spotted hanging out under pickup truck in neighborhood

Residents in a Santa Barbara County neighborhood are on the lookout after a 100-pound mountain lion was twice spotted wandering the streets Friday.

The adult mountain lion was first seen about 7:30 a.m. lying under a pickup truck parked in a driveway on the 3100 block of Samantha Drive in Santa Ynez. Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies and California Department of Fish and Wildlife agents were dispatched to the area, but the cougar had left by the time they arrived, according to a news release.

The mountain lion was seen again in the same area Friday afternoon, but the animal moved on before deputies arrived.

Fish and Wildlife offered the following tips to avoid potential conflicts with wild animals near your home:

• Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California, and it will attract mountain lions.

• Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.

• Do not leave small children or pets outside unattended.

• Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.

• Provide sturdy shelters for sheep, goats and other vulnerable animals.

• Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active — dawn, dusk and at night.

• Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.

This story was originally published May 19, 2017 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Mountain lion spotted hanging out under pickup truck in neighborhood."