SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA – The world’s most famous mountain lion was remembered at a 3-hour celebration of life in Los Angeles, featuring speakers and musical performances. P-22 was euthanized in December after wildlife officials determined that he was suffering from injuries and health issues and could pose a threat to people and pets around Griffith Park where he lived for a decade.
He became famous for his frequent sightings in one of the world’s largest cities. Many people felt sympathy for his plight; a lone feline, stranded on an island of wilderness surrounded by freeways, unlikely to ever find love. In many ways, he represents the struggle of many wild animals now, isolated in shrinking corridors of forests and wildland as humans encroach on their habitats.
There are calls to create a postage stamp of P-22 showing him in front of the Hollywood sign (the landmark is turning 100). In the request for the stamp, congressmembers wrote, “most of all, he was a magnificent and wild creature, who reminded us all that we are part of a natural world so much greater than ourselves. Even in Los Angeles.”
NATIONAL PARK NEWS
