This is the chilling moment doorbell footage captured a mountain lion pack prowling through a family neighbourhood.
Carolyn Andrews, from Colorado, US, had the shock of her life on April 1 when five big cats were seen casually walking towards her home at around 11pm.
The lions were seen prowling her family neighbourhood in Silverthorne, 67 miles west of Denver, where children are often seen playing outside.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife have urged residents to avoid leaving their pets outdoors overnight amid fears the animals could enter gardens and attack them.
In addition, they also said children should be accompanied with an adult in the evenings just in case the mountain lions appear.
However, if residents are confronted with a mountain lion it is essential to avoid any confrontation and to let the animals escape.
The Park said in a statement: "Do not approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
"Stay calm when you come upon a lion. Talk calmly and firmly to it. Move slowly.
"Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely. Running may stimulate a lion’s instinct to chase and attack."
It's not the first big cats have been spotted in Colorado as there are an estimated 5,000 mountain lions in the area.
But despite erecting fences to look after pets, lions have the ability to bypass them - with wildlife experts believing pets are safer when taken inside at night.
"Having a dog inside a fenced yard won’t necessarily prevent an attack,” Colorado Parks said. "It’s best to keep your dog in a covered kennel or inside your home."
"When letting your pets outside, especially in areas of the foothills and near parks, make sure your yard is well-lit and your pets are not left outside for long periods of time.
According to the park, “in Colorado, law enforcement officers are authorised to destroy dogs seen chasing wildlife and fine the pet owners.”
Authorities have advised locals to keep calm if confronted with big cats and not to run away as this will scare them.
However, if the animal poses an immediate danger it is best to call a local enforcement agency to report the danger.
It comes after a mountain lion attack left a child injured in a trauma centre in February.
The mauling happened in February at Pico Canyon Park, San Mateo County, California, US, which is 40 miles south of San Fransisco, after police were called to reports of an animal mauling.
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said they were "dispatched to a report of a mountain lion attack and we can confirm a child was transported to a local trauma centre after the attack."
Attacks in California are rare as lions live in a range of habitats such as deserts and forests.
