A string of mountain lion sightings in Santa Barbara neighborhoods has left some residents uneasy, especially in places where spotting a large predator near homes feels anything but normal. But experts say the sightings may be less about mountain lions suddenly showing up and more about people continuing to push farther into the animals’ habitat.
According to KEYT, residents near Mission Creek, Modoc Road, Oak Park, Bath Street, and the El Sueno area have recently reported mountain lions near their homes.
For some locals, the encounters have been especially jarring. “We’ve been in this neighborhood for the last four years, and we’ve never had any sightings of any wild animals in the neighborhood,” Santa Barbara resident Lindsey Black said…