Multiple Mountain Lion Sightings Reported in Santa Barbara; Police Urge Precautions

The Santa Barbara Police Department is urging residents to take precautions after two mountain lion sightings were reported within the past week, both captured on residential security cameras at night in the Mission Creek area and the 800 block of Bath Street.

Santa Barbara Animal Control and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have been notified.

Police ask residents to remain vigilant around Mission Creek and the 800 block of Bath Street and to keep small pets indoors, especially during evening and nighttime hours.

If you see a mountain lion, do not approach it. Call 911 if you believe there is a significant threat to public safety. For non-emergency sightings, contact Santa Barbara City Animal Control via the SBPD non-emergency dispatch line at 805-882-8900.

Community reports have surfaced on social media in recent days, including:

• A doorbell camera video showing a mountain lion on W. De La Guerra Street two blocks from State Street around 8:45 p.m. earlier this week
• A sighting in Oak Park near Cottage Hospital
• A photo of a mountain lion in a driveway near Bath Street and Canon Perdido on Thursday, May 14 around 3:00 a.m.

CDFW encourages the public to report sightings through its Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) portal at https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir/incident/create. The page allows residents to submit a wildlife incident report by selecting the type of encounter (for example, “I saw a wild animal” or “There are wild animals on or around my property”) and choosing the county. For emergencies, call CDFW’s tip line at 888-334-2258.

Anyone with information about recent mountain lion activity in Santa Barbara is asked to report it to help wildlife officials and local authorities track and respond to sightings.