CNN
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P-22, A mountain lion who spent years in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, Authorities say he was euthanized after injuries sustained in a “vehicular strike.”
The big cat made headlines last month He attacked and killed A resident’s leashed chihuahua. He was captured by authorities on Monday, who used GPS data from his tracking collar to track him down and sedate him.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife made the decision to euthanize P-22 after an “extensive medical evaluation.” According to a news release on Saturday.
The department said the “compassionate euthanasia” was unanimously recommended by the medical team at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and was performed under general anesthesia.
A “comprehensive evaluation” was given to P-22, which “showed significant trauma to the mountain lion’s head, right eye and internal organs, confirming the suspicion of a recent injury such as a vehicle strike,” the department said. “The trauma to his internal organs will require invasive surgery.”
The 12-year-old mountain lion had “significant pre-existing conditions, irreversible kidney disease, chronic weight loss, extensive parasitic skin infections over his entire body, and localized arthritis.”
He was in poor health overall, and “additional underlying conditions have not yet been fully diagnosed,” the department said.
Officials will not seek information about the P-22’s possible run-in with the vehicle, they added.
“This situation was not P-22’s fault, nor was it the fault of a driver who struck him,” the department wrote. “Rather, it’s a phenomenon arising from habitat loss and fragmentation, and it underscores the need for thoughtfully constructed wildlife crossings and well-planned spaces.”
P-22 Los Angeles became famous when he was photographed with a camera trap underneath the Hollywood sign. The film was featured in the December 2013 issue of National Geographic.
The mountain lion even had its own Facebook and Instagram pages, where fans left heartfelt messages on Saturday.
P-22 also made headlines for breaching a 9-foot fence at the Los Angeles Zoo. Squeezing a cola In 2016.
Officials across California issued statements marking the death of the mountain lion, including Governor Gavin Newsom.
“The P-22’s survival on a desert island in the heart of Los Angeles captivated people around the world and reinvigorated efforts to protect our diverse native species and ecosystems,” Newsom said. In a news release.
Newsom’s father is the founder of the Mountain Lion Foundation and championed permanent protection for the species, according to the release.
“The incredible journey of the iconic mountain lion has helped inspire a new era of conservation and reconnection with nature, including the world’s largest wildlife overpass at Liberty Canyon,” added Newsom. “With innovative alliances and strategies to restore critical habitat across the state, we will continue to work to protect California’s precious natural heritage for generations to come.”
Earlier this year, work began on a 10-lane wildlife crossing on Highway 101, with hopes of creating a safer route for wildlife in the region. In addition, Newsom pledged $50 million to other similar programs across the state.
Beth Pratt, California regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation, also recalled the mountain lion. In an emotional news release. “It’s hard to imagine that I’ll be writing about P-22 in the past now,” he said, and expressed hope that future California mountain lions will be able to roam safely.
“Thank you for the gift of knowing you, P-22. I will miss you forever,” Brad said. “But I will never stop working to honor your legacy, and even if we miss you, we can at least partially make amends by making your kind of world safer.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated when authorities seized the P-22. He was arrested on Monday.
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