Authorities will trap and evaluate an elderly mountain lion dubbed Hollywood Cat after it exhibited “strange behavior” by murdering two domestic dogs, one of which was on a leash and being walked when it was stalked and ripped apart.
The animal acquired recognition — a segment on 60 Minutes and a 6,000-word article in The New Yorker — after crossing two busy southern California freeways to reach its new ‘home’ in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park.
P-22, whose moniker derives from the National Park Service’s employment of a GPS tracker to monitor his location, has been observed by authorities throughout the majority of his life.
The 12-year-old large cat is considered dangerous after attacking a dog in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, on Sunday, two weeks after stalking and killing a leashed pet chihuahua named Piper as it was being walked in the Hollywood Hills.
It has also been spotted prowling around residences near Griffith Park.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife suspects that the animal is in distress and desires to trap it to assess its health. They have nevertheless warned individuals to avoid P-22 and not assist in its capture.
Hollywood Cat acquired notoriety for navigating the San Diego 405 and Hollywood 101 freeways to reach Griffith Park.
P-22 is extremely elderly, given that he lives in an urban setting, as mountain lions are considered old at the age of 10.
Recent behavioral changes, such as following a dog being walked by its owner, have led specialists to conclude that the animal “may be expressing signs of distress.”
But this is not the first time P-22 has been into trouble. It executed a daring nighttime attack on the Los Angeles Zoo in which it scaled an 8-foot wall to steal a koala bear six years ago.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service aims to capture P-22 to assess his health and “identify the best course of action for the animal while protecting the safety of local populations.
According to the DFW, a mountain lion surviving in such an urban environment is unprecedented.
‘However, as P-22 has aged, the difficulties associated with surviving on an island of habitat appear to be rising, and scientists have seen a recent behavioral change.
This highlights the repercussions of a lack of habitat connectivity for mountain lions and all other species.
About 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions reside in California, where they are classed as specially protected species’ Due to their protected status, they cannot be hunted, injured, or transported. They reside primarily in foothills and mountains, or wherever there are deer.
However, lions have also been spotted in densely populated urban areas for years. In search of new territory, male lions can wander up to 200 miles.
In late August of 2010, a mountain lion was spotted in North Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto. The local police shot and killed the animal immediately.
The growing presence of mountain lions in urban areas is partially attributed to California’s rapid and extensive development in the 1990s and 2000s. As human populations continue to expand, lions are increasingly likely to encounter people.
P-22 is among the oldest mountain lions observed in the Southland region.
Tim Daly of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife stated, “I was told that mountain lions in the area are considered elderly at the age of 10, and P-22 is 12.”
After evaluating the lion’s health, a representative of the non-profit National Wildlife Federation is convinced that federal and state authorities will make the correct decision regarding the animal.
Beth Pratt, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation in California, stated in a statement, “P-22 has given us so much.” ‘He is a well-liked, wild mountain lion that managed to survive despite all difficulties. His struggle as a mountain lion stranded in Griffith Park following a harrowing journey over two of the country’s busiest highways demonstrated to the world how hazardous our roads can be for mountain lions and other wildlife.
His narrative sparked the construction of the world’s largest urban wildlife crossing outside of Los Angeles so that other mountain lions in the region do not perish in the same manner.
Piper, a chihuahua, was walking near the Hollywood Reservoir at Creston and Durand Drives in late November when P-22 attacked it and tore it away from its terrified owner.
The dog-walker told KTLA, “I felt the pull and heard Piper squeal.” “I just turned around and observed a face.” I had no idea what that was.
It was comparable to a two- or three-second struggle… He did not grumble in any way. I didn’t even hear him. I was never given a chance.
Piper’s owner, Daniel Jimenez, was celebrating his daughter’s birthday when he received a text message from Piper’s walker stating, “A mountain lion attacked and stole your dog.” Killed your dog.’
“We assumed it was a joke, but it turned out to be true, and we were horrified,” said Jimenez, who described the loss as “devastating.”
In 2021, the lion was trapped and equipped with a tracking collar for the first time. His last capture occurred when he weighed 123 pounds.
