Array
A famed mountain lion who became a Los Angeles celebrity after living in the shadow of the Hollywood Hills for over a decade was euthanized on Saturday because of severe health problems, California officials announced.
The aging mountain lion, called P-22 and thought to be about 12 years old, was captured in a Los Feliz backyard on Monday amid fears he had been struck by a car and was suffering other health problems.
The cat, who had traversed busy highways to take up residence in and around Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, became a symbol of campaigns to save California’s threatened mountain lion population. He was put to sleep at 9 a.m. on Saturday at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, officials at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said.
Tests on P-22 revealed “significant trauma to the mountain lion’s head, right eye and internal organs, confirming the suspicion of recent injury, such as a vehicle strike,” officials said.
