LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood’s famous mountain lion, known as P-22, is severely underweight and likely was hit and injured by a car, wildlife experts said Tuesday after an examination of animal health.
The male cougar, whose killing of an off-leash dog has sparked concerns about his behavior, is unlikely to be released into the wild and could be sent to an animal sanctuary or euthanized, depending on his health. She said.
“No one makes a decision like this lightly,” spokesman Jordan Traverso said during a video conference call. He added that the agency understands “the importance of this animal to the community and to California” and “we recognize his sadness.”
The P-22 was captured and impounded Monday in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood near its usual hangout in Griffith Park, a wilderness island and picnic area amid Los Angeles’ urban sprawl.
via the Associated Press
State and federal wildlife officials said last week they were concerned the elderly cat “may be showing signs of distress” from aging, saying the animal needed to be studied to determine what action to take.
Tuesday’s examination found the cat had an eye injury, possibly from being hit by a car, and additional tests will be conducted to determine if the animal suffered further head trauma, said Deana Clifford, the department’s chief veterinarian.
A CT scan is scheduled for later this week to look for other possible chronic health problems that may have caused his decline, Clifford said.
P-22 was first captured in 2012 and fitted with a GPS tracking collar as part of a National Park Service study. The cougar is regularly recorded by security cameras roaming the residential areas near Griffith Park.
P-22 is believed to be around 12 years old, making him the oldest Southern California cougar currently under study. Most mountain lions live for about a decade.
“This is an old cat, and old cats have old cat diseases,” Clifford said. “Any of us who have cats at home have seen it.”
“We’re working through all of these issues and we’re going to look at a totality of findings to try to make the best possible decision for the cat,” he said.
The P-22 usually hunts deer and coyotes, but in November, the National Park Service confirmed that the cougar had attacked and killed a Chihuahua mix walking the narrow streets of the Hollywood Hills.
The cougar is also suspected of attacking another Chihuahua in the Silver Lake neighborhood this month.
The P-22 lived most of its life in Griffith Park, crossing two major highways to get there. He was the face of the campaign to build a wildlife crossing on a freeway in the Los Angeles area to give big cats, coyotes, deer and other wildlife a safe path to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains where they have room to roam.
Ground was broken this year on the bridge, which will span 200 feet (about 60 meters) over US 101. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2025.
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