A mountain lion named P-22, who attained movie star standing after taking on residence in Los Angeles’s Griffith Park, just lately needed to be euthanized after sustaining accidents in step with being hit by a automobile.
Mountain Lions
The mountain lion is a wild cat native to the Americas. The species goes by a number of different names, together with puma and cougar, and is the second-largest member of the cat household present in North America (the biggest is the Jaguar, which is exceedingly uncommon north of Mexico).
Arrival at Griffith Park
Mountain lions are normally present in unpopulated areas removed from human habitation. P-22’s arrival at Griffith Park in 2012 due to this fact brought about a lot pleasure amongst Californian wildlife lovers, and led to the cat reaching movie star standing, each in L.A. and additional afield.
Griffith Park is known for being the situation of each the long-lasting Hollywood signal and the Griffith Observatory (Wikipedia). Regardless of being certainly one of North America’s largest city parks, its 4,310 acres (1,740 ha) represents a tiny territory for an grownup male mountain lion.
As a result of park’s proximity to a number of freeways, P-22 was unlikely ever to have discovered a mate. Previous to P-22’s arrival, the busy roads surrounding the park had been liable for the deaths of quite a few different mountain lions.
A part of P-22’s legacy is the deliberate development of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing (Wikipedia), an overpass that may span the ten lanes of the US 101 freeway. P-22 grew to become a figurehead for the challenge, which is deliberate to be accomplished in fall 2024. (supply)
Notoriety
P-22 made the headlines a number of occasions throughout his life, reaching explicit notoriety for the doubtless killing of a koala in Los Angeles Zoo. (In P-22’s protection, regardless of his being sighted within the zoo on the time, there is no such thing as a footage of the particular assault.)
The lasting picture of P-22 strolling in entrance of the Hollywood signal was taken by Nationwide Geographic photographer Steve Winter as a part of a 15-month challenge to {photograph} the cat.
Demise Of P-22
Though P-22’s precise age is unknown, it’s thought that he was 12 on the time of his loss of life. That is very previous for a wild mountain lion, and should clarify the cat’s more and more erratic habits in the previous couple of weeks of his life
P-22 was seen a number of occasions within the neighborhoods of Los Feliz and Silver Lake within the month previous his loss of life, and was liable for a number of assaults on pet canine, together with the killing of a Chihuahua on a leash.
The assaults, and a report of a mountain lion having been struck by a automobile on the 11th December, led to officers within the Division of Fish and Wildlife making the choice to seize P-22 for a well being verify.
P-22 had lengthy been fitted with a radio transmitter round his neck, and the cat was positioned in a personal residence in Los Feliz on Monday 12th Dec. As soon as tranquilized by dart, P-22 was taken first to Los Angeles Zoo, the place his situation was assessed by vets, after which to the San Diego Wildlife Alliance.
Though P-22’s situation was first introduced as being secure, his well being started to deteriorate. Additional examination revealed quite a few severe well being issues, relating each to previous age and to the possible automobile strike.
Officers determined that the kindest consequence could be to euthanize P-22. The process was carried out on 17th December, thereby ending P-22’s reign as apex predator of the Hollywood Hills, however exhibiting the world that even massive predators similar to mountain lions can stay in (relative) concord alongside people.