Prince Harry and Meghan warned about neighbourhood 'killer' near their Montecito home

Prince Harry and Meghan have been warned about a mountain lion on the loose. Photos / Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been warned there is a mountain lion on the loose near their home.

The 36-year-old duke and the 39-year-old duchess have been told that the big cat recently confronted a pet German shepherd in a garden less than 3km from their mansion in Montecito, California.

The news has been confirmed by owner Miles Hartfeld, who said that experts from the County of Santa Barbara Fish and Wildlife Commission discovered signs that the mountain lion had been in the area near to the royals' mansion.

A lion is also thought to have killed prey in a nearby garden in August, according to the Sun newspaper.

Speculation about the lion has come shortly after a bear was seen prowling the neighbourhood. The black bear was filmed by security cameras and is thought to have a den in a nearby ranch.

Meanwhile, the duke and duchess - who have son Archie, 17 months, together - recently launched their Archewell website.

The royal couple's new website asks people to submit their details and sign up to their newsletter. The note reads: "Yes, I would like Archewell to send me emails about its activities and initiatives. You can unsubscribe at any time."

Earlier this year, the couple explained the meaning behind their website's name.

They said: "Before SussexRoyal came the idea of 'Arche' - the Greek word meaning 'source of action'. We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son's name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters.

"Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon."