A mountain lion spotted in the yard of an Orcutt home was captured and later released Tuesday.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said it was working with the Department of Fish and Wildlife around 4:45 p.m. to capture the animal spotted on the 4300 block of Coachman Way.
Fish and Wildlife says the 75-100 pound male lion appeared to be in good health and was found in the front porch area of a home about five feet from the front door.
People in the area were alerted and told to stay indoors. The incident was over by about 5:30 p.m.
Fish and Wildlife says an animal control veterinary technician was able to do a quick examination on the mountain lion before it was transported and released in a "suitable habitat" south of Orcutt.
While it's unknown exactly why the lion ended up where it did, Fish and Wildlife says it may have been looking for food or its own territory and wandered into town overnight, ending up in the residential area by morning.
