A mountain lion named P-22, who attained celeb standing after taking on residence in Los Angeles’s Griffith Park, not too long ago needed to be euthanized after sustaining accidents in keeping with being hit by a automotive.
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 most important is the Jaguar, which is exceedingly uncommon north of Mexico).
Arrival at Griffith Park
Mountain lions are often present in unpopulated areas removed from human habitation. P-22’s arrival at Griffith Park in 2012 due to this fact precipitated a lot pleasure amongst Californian wildlife lovers, and led to the cat attaining celeb standing, each in L.A. and additional afield.
Griffith Park is legendary 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 accountable for the deaths of a lot of 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 venture, which is deliberate to be accomplished in fall 2024. (supply)
Notoriety
P-22 made the headlines a number of occasions throughout his life, attaining explicit notoriety for the probably 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 isn’t any 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 venture to {photograph} the cat.
Dying Of P-22
Though P-22’s actual age is unknown, it’s thought that he was 12 on the time of his dying. That is very previous for a wild mountain lion, and will clarify the cat’s more and more erratic conduct in the previous few 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 dying, and was accountable for a number of assaults on pet canines, together with the killing of a Chihuahua on a leash.
The assaults, and a report of a mountain lion having been struck by a automotive 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 test.
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 steady, 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 automotive strike.
Officers determined that the kindest end result can 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 displaying the world that even giant predators comparable to mountain lions can stay in (relative) concord alongside people.