Famous Hollywood mountain lion P-22 is euthanised after being struck by a car
P-22 was believed to have suffered major injuries in a car accident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hollywood’s best known mountain lion has been euthanised after it was believed to be struck and injured in a car accident.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officials confirmed on Saturday that the cat known as P-22 had been put down after an examination found severe injuries and chronic health problems.
P-22 was captured last week by wildlife officials after it raised concerns for hunting down a leashed chihuahua dog in Hollywood Hills.
The CDFW said that the cat had an eye injury, probably after being hit by a car and they would conduct more tests to determine if the animal had additional head trauma.
After a full health evaluation, officials said they were left with “no hope for a positive outcome”.
“Mountain lion P-22 has had an extraordinary life and captured the hearts of the people of Los Angeles and beyond,” the Saturday statement said. “The most difficult, but compassionate choice was to respectfully minimize his suffering and stress by humanely ending his journey.”
P-22 was captured and tranquilised on 12 December in the trendy Los Feliz neighbourhood near his usual haunt of Griffith Park, an island of wilderness and picnic areas in the midst of the Los Angeles urban sprawl.
It was captured after wildlife officials raised concerns that the cat “may be exhibiting signs of distress”, due in part to old age, and wanted to study it for its well being.
The big cat made the sprawling Griffith Park its home for more than a decade and was often recorded on security cameras wandering across the freeways and residential areas of LA.
The animal was estimated to be the oldest South California cougar, currently at the age of 12, making it the oldest Southern California cougar currently being studied. Most mountain lions live for about a decade.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments