State officials ultimately decided to euthanize P-22 at 9 a.m. Saturday morning due to serious health issues.
Since capturing P-22 earlier this week, wildlife officials struggled with the best path for the celebrity mountain lion who spent more than a decade roaming Griffith Park and the hillsides of Los Angeles.
State officials ultimately decided to euthanize P-22 at 9 a.m. Saturday morning due to serious health issues. Here is what we know about the mountain lion and his deteriorating condition.
“This really hurts and I know that. It’s been an incredibly difficult several days,” said Chuck Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “And for myself I’ve felt the entire weight of the city of Los Angeles.”
The big cat suffered a skull fracture, herniated organs and a torn diaphragm, according to Hendrik Nollens, vice president of wildlife health at the San Diego Zoo, where P-22 was euthanized.
The injuries were mostly likely caused by a collision with a car last week, officials said.
The big cat also had kidney failure, advanced liver disease, heart disease and a parasitic infection, officials said.
