Search teams were out in full force today looking for a lion that was reported missing from the Survival Outreach Sanctuary in Spring Hill, Fla., and found the feline in an enclosure there, authorities said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has launched an investigation into how the lion escaped its own area.

The lion was reported missing after authorities couldn't locate the cat earlier today, a spokesperson for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office told ABC News.

The FWC sent five teams to the sanctuary and was being assisted by two teams from the sheriff's office, the spokesperson said. When they found the lion, it was sedated with a dart gun.

In perhaps the most obvious warning of the day, authorities advised residents living near the sanctuary to use caution and not approach the animal if they encounter it in the area.

ABC News' Seni Tienabeso contributed to this report.