is roughly 4,200 acres of wilderness smack in the middle of Los Angeles. About five times the size of New York’s Central Park, its city vistas and sandy trails are beloved by locals, hikers, birders—and, in the past decade, one very charismatic mountain lion.-22, as he was known, left his home in the nearby Santa Monica mountains in 2012, and crossed two of’s gargantuan highways before finding safety among the park’s chaparral and agave.
Los Angeles is already mourning his loss. The mountain lion was more of a neighbour than a pet, for pet implies that he was ruled, and-22 ruled himself. Before he was captured, your correspondent, who lives near the park, often prowled the same streets he liked to frequent, looking for a glimpse of the cat. When a koala was mysteriously killed in the Griffith Park Zoo in 2016,-22 was the prime suspect .
People and pets are no doubt safer without a cougar on the loose. But the park’s trails feel emptier now, and a little less wild. In a city delineated with parking lots and highways, his presence made Los Angeles feel closer to nature, and more responsible for its preservation. Maybe when the wildlife crossing is complete, another mountain lion will wander into the park. And, if all works as intended, it will be able to wander right out again—safely.
They crossed the line euthanizing a fox.
This story makes me so angry. 😡
clairewad I saw this, and it saddens me. Growing up in SoCal I was barely aware of the mt lions and bears that surrounded the L.A. basin. Bears are thriving in the San Gabriel Mts, big cats too.
clairewad The mountain lion P-22 was living just fine despite having been hit by a car. And humans decided to trap him and euthanize (aka MURDER) him! Rest In Peace, king P-22. 😭🙏🏽
A rare example of a celebrity who didn't realise he was one.
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SYSKPodcast
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We have coyotes in our neighborhood. I’m not sure I want a mountain lion, too
need quart yes
Thank you for this. He was larger than life and a legend in LA.
It only ate celebrities?