Sad breaking news: P-22, the famous Griffith Park mountain lion who was recently captured after some uncharacteristic behavior, has been "compassionately euthanized".
P-22 gained local fame when he managed to safely cross two freeways (405 and 101) to relocate himself from the Santa Monica Mountains to Griffith Park in 2012. He became world famous when National Geographic photographer Steve Winter caught this shot of him prowling in the shadow of the Hollywood Sign:
He also got himself some notoriety in 2016 when he made a snack out of a koala at the Los Angeles Zoo. Bad kitty!
P-22 had been captured for assessment by local wildlife authorities earlier this week after twice attacking small dogs being walked by their owners (unfortunately killing one of the dogs), behavior that was out of character for him. He was found to have a number of health issues due to his advanced age (12) as well as injuries that are suspected to be the result of him having been recently hit by a car, and it was decided that euthanasia was the most humane option.
In addition to being adored by Angelenos, P-22's legacy includes being an inspiration for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The hope is that the crossing will make it safer for local wildlife to navigate L.A.'s limited wilderness areas, as many of our mountain lions haven't had P-22's luck when it came to crossing freeways.
This is a tough loss for Angelenos. P-22 was a local icon and will be missed big time.
😿
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