A woman was killed in a suspected mountain lion attack while she was hiking alone in the mountains of northern Colorado on Thursday, in what would be the first fatal attack by one of the predators in the state in more than 25 years, authorities said.
Wildlife officers later in the day located two mountain lions in the area and fatally shot the animals, said Kara Van Hoose with Colorado Parks and Wildlife
The attack occurred in the mountains south of the small community of Glen Haven, about 7 miles northeast of Estes Park and considered the gateway to the eastern entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Shortly before noon, two hikers encountered a mountain lion near the woman’s body along a remote section of the Crosier Mountain trail, which is on a national forest.
The hikers threw rocks at the animal to scare it from the immediate area so they could try to help the woman, Van Hoose said. One of the hikers was a physician who attended to the victim and did not find a pulse, she said.
Details on the woman’s injuries and cause of death were not immediately released.
Van Hoose said the search for other mountain lions in the area was ongoing. She said circumstances would dictate whether any additional lions that are found are killed.
Sightings of mountain lions are common in the forested area where the suspected attack occurred, but there have not been any recent documented attacks on humans, Van Hoose said.
“This is a very common time of year to take mountain lion sightings and reports and especially in Larimer County, where this is very good mountain lion habitat,” she said. “Trails in this area are in pretty remote land, so it’s wooded, it’s rocky, there’s elevation gains and dips.”
Mountain lion attacks are rare and Colorado’s last suspected fatal attack was in 1999, when a 3-year-old was killed. Two years before that, a 10-year-old boy was killed by a lion and dragged away while hiking with family members in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Last year in Northern California two brothers were stalked and then attacked by a lion that they tried to fight off. One of the brothers was killed.
The animals, also known as cougars, catamounts and other names, can weigh 130 pounds (60 kilograms) and grow to more than six feet (1.8meters) long1. They eat primarily deer.
Colorado has an estimated 3,800-4,400 of the animals, which are classified as a big game species in the state and can be hunted.
State investigators are searching for suspects after the body of an illegally poached mountain lion was found abandoned in a Colorado canyon last week, according to wildlife officials.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife rangers responded to Taylor Canyon in Gunnison City Mountain Park on Friday after the mountain lion’s carcass was discovered near a group of campsites, according to a news release from the agency.
The mountain lion, which had been shot in the chest and left in the bushes, was previously part of the agency’s mountain lion density study in Gunnison Basin, wildlife officials said in the release.
During that study, researchers captured, marked, collared and monitored dozens of mountain lions across western Colorado, according to the agency. Nearly 100 animals were collared between Middle Park and Gunnison Basin.
“We are looking for leads or information anyone might have that could assist us with this investigation,” CPW District Wildlife Manager Codi Prior said in a statement. “Somebody killed this lion and then dumped its carcass.”
The poached mountain lion’s carcass was discovered three days before the start of legal mountain lion hunting season in Colorado. The season runs from Nov. 24 to March 31.
Anyone with information on the mountain lion or the people responsible is asked to contact Prior at 970-641-7075 or codi.prior@state.co.us, or CPW’s Gunnison wildlife office at 970-641-7060.
Tipsters who want to remain anonymous can contact Operation Game Thief — a Colorado Parks and Wildlife program that awards people who turn in poachers up to $1,000 — at 877-265-6648 or by email at game.thief@state.co.us.
Tell me you don’t like rural Coloradans without telling me. That’s what two initiatives will ask the state’s urban-suburban majority to do this November; tell rural folks they’re not welcome in their own state, that their ways are passé, particularly ranching and hunting.
Initiative 91 would outlaw the hunting of bobcats and mountain lions. The initiative is both unnecessary and a slap in the face to rural populations who live with these predators and take part in their management through hunting. These animals are plentiful and well managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in partnership with hunters, many of whom hail from the rural Western Slope.
Contrary to advocates’ assertions, Colorado law already prohibits hunting mountain lions for sport; the meat must be harvested for consumption. Initiative 91 not only rejects science-based wildlife management, it is a deliberate affront to the rural way of life which for many includes hunting and fishing.
Not surprisingly, Colorado’s most recent experience with ballot box biology hasn’t gone well for rural Coloradans. Veal beat venison in a wolf taste test. Thanks to Proposition 114, wolves were reintroduced to western Colorado in December 2023. Soon after, several of them decided to ditch swift deer for slow livestock. They’ve killed 16 calves, cows, and sheep in Grand County alone.
Ranchers appealed to the state for relief. CPW is planning to trap the depredating wolves to relocate them. During similar trap and relocation efforts in Montana, mated pairs separated and abandoned their pups. Scientists over at CPW knew the potential consequences of bringing back this apex predator and resisted it until a narrow majority of voters forced their hand. If urban voters had known that the romantic notion of wolf reintroduction meant eviscerated livestock and dead puppies, would they have voted differently?
Wolves won’t be the only ones going after ranchers’ livelihoods if another initiative passes. Denver voters will be asked in November to shut down the 70-year-old employee-owned Superior Farm slaughterhouse near the National Western Stock Show complex. Not only would the employees lose their jobs, the closure will adversely impact sheep ranchers and the state’s economy.
According to a study by the Colorado State University Regional Economic Development Institute, the business generates around $861 million in economic activity and supports some 3,000 jobs. The Denver facility carries about a fifth of all U.S. sheep processing capacity. If it is not rebuilt elsewhere in Colorado, Colorado ranchers will have fewer options and could go out of business for want of places to send their livestock.
According to the study, the loss of U.S. processing capacity will prompt markets to replace domestic supply with imports. Consumers will likely pay more for meat. Also, not every country that raises and slaughters sheep has same humane livestock regulations and standards as the U.S.
A minority of voters could negatively impact the majority not just in Colorado. The people pushing this initiative represent an even smaller minority. They don’t believe humans should eat meat, according to their website, and this is their way to take a bite out of the age-old practice.
Most vegetarians and vegans are live and let live but a small percentage would like to foist their lifestyle on the rest of us. It only took 2% of registered voters in Denver to push this ballot question that would single out a business for closure, toss its employees out of work, harm ranchers throughout the state, cost the state millions of dollars in economic activity, force markets to import meat, and reduce choices for those who want locally-sourced products. It’s hard to imagine a worse idea.
If urban and suburban voters are tempted to support these no-good, feel-good initiatives, they should first visit their neighbors on either side of the Front Range who will be impacted. A little empathy for rural Colorado is wanting.
Krista L. Kafer is a weekly Denver Post columnist. Follow her on X: @kristakafer.
Longtime El Dorado County resident Richard Morgan is warning residents to be on alert after his dog Malcolm was killed by a mountain lion in his own backyard. The family spotted the mountain lion at around 9 p.m. Thursday night when they were calling their dog. “In my 57 years here, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a mountain lion jumping a fence and taking a family dog,” said Morgan. Minutes after being spotted the mountain lion ran away. The Placerville family is concerned about their safety since the fence did not stop the mountain lion from attacking their dog. “It’s kind of like, can we be out here after dark? Is it going to jump the fence and prey on one of us?” said Morgan. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s office told KCRA 3 that in the last month, they have received 14 reports of mountain lion sightings throughout the county. Kyle Parker, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said the sightings have been in areas like Georgetown, Somerset and Shingle Springs. “Just to be aware of the surroundings and just take precautions. Have something that you can use just in that chance encounter,” said Parker. If there is an immediate threat to the community’s safety Parker said they send out a deputy to respond, but if not, they will pass the case to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Morgan said he is already taking steps to stay safe like installing cameras and sensor lights. But he would like officials to take more action to address the issue. “Track them, collar them, chip them, whatever you have to do to have an awareness of what their area is and how many there are,” said Morgan.KCRA 3 contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife but no one was available for an interview. Officials ask residents to report any mountain lion sightings by calling 916-358-2917.
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. —
Longtime El Dorado County resident Richard Morgan is warning residents to be on alert after his dog Malcolm was killed by a mountain lion in his own backyard.
The family spotted the mountain lion at around 9 p.m. Thursday night when they were calling their dog.
“In my 57 years here, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a mountain lion jumping a fence and taking a family dog,” said Morgan.
Minutes after being spotted the mountain lion ran away.
The Placerville family is concerned about their safety since the fence did not stop the mountain lion from attacking their dog.
“It’s kind of like, can we be out here after dark? Is it going to jump the fence and prey on one of us?” said Morgan.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s office told KCRA 3 that in the last month, they have received 14 reports of mountain lion sightings throughout the county.
Kyle Parker, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said the sightings have been in areas like Georgetown, Somerset and Shingle Springs.
“Just to be aware of the surroundings and just take precautions. Have something that you can use just in that chance encounter,” said Parker.
If there is an immediate threat to the community’s safety Parker said they send out a deputy to respond, but if not, they will pass the case to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Morgan said he is already taking steps to stay safe like installing cameras and sensor lights. But he would like officials to take more action to address the issue.
“Track them, collar them, chip them, whatever you have to do to have an awareness of what their area is and how many there are,” said Morgan.
KCRA 3 contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife but no one was available for an interview.
Officials ask residents to report any mountain lion sightings by calling 916-358-2917.
GEORGETOWN, Calif. — A mountain lion in Northern California killed one man and injured another while the two were out hunting for shed antlers, authorities said Saturday.
An 18-year-old male called the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Saturday afternoon, reporting that he and his 21-year-old brother were attacked by a mountain lion in a remote part of the county, the office said in a news release.
Deputies arrived around 1:30 p.m. to find the younger brother with “traumatic injuries” to his face. Minutes later, deputies saw a crouched mountain lion next to the older brother on the ground, according to the statement.
They fired their guns and scared off the mountain lion, but the older brother was deceased.
Wardens with California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife are searching for the mountain lion. The department did not immediately respond to emails and a phone message seeking more details.
Georgetown is a small, historic town about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento.
Mountain lions have attacked humans previously, but the last fatal encounter was in 2004 in Orange County, according to a verified list kept by the fish and wildlife department.
Oregon’s popular Cannon Beach has reopened after closing because of a cougar sighting on Haystack Rock
FILE – Beachgoers walk a dog and fly a kite as they near Haystack Rock, April 4, 2022, in Cannon Beach, Ore. Cannon Beach, a popular tourist destination, reopened Monday, July 17, 2023, after closing due to a cougar sighting near the iconic Haystack Rock. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday the cougar had moved on, as confirmed by wildlife and law enforcement officials. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
The Associated Press
CANNON BEACH, Ore. — A cougar that climbed onto a towering rock off the coast of northwest Oregon over the weekend — probably in search of feathered prey — has abandoned the craggy formation, allowing for the popular Cannon Beach to reopen to visitors Monday.
Multiple agencies and organizations, from local and state police to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Parks and Recreation Department, responded to Sunday morning’s sighting of the big cat on the iconic Haystack Rock. The beach was closed to protect people and let it return to its usual habitat.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said officials later confirmed that the animal had moved on. A game camera captured an image of it leaving the rock Sunday night, and tracks were also found heading away, federal officials said.
State biologists believe the cougar ventured to Haystack Rock at low tide Saturday night to hunt birds, a behavior they have not previously witnessed at that site.
“While the forested areas along the coast are prime habitat for cougars, it is unusual that a cougar made its way on to Haystack Rock,” Paul Atwood, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in a statement. “Their primary food source is deer, but they will also consume elk, other mammals and birds.”
However, cougars have been documented traveling to other similar small offshore islands in Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson Megan Nagel said via email.
Haystack Rock, protected as part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is abundant with seabirds and sea life in the summer.
From March through September, tufted puffins, common murres, pigeon guillemot and black oystercatcher raise their young on the formation.
Part of the rock is closed year-round to all public use to protect nesting and roosting birds.
Oregon’s popular Cannon Beach has reopened after closing because of a cougar sighting on Haystack Rock
FILE – Beachgoers walk a dog and fly a kite as they near Haystack Rock, April 4, 2022, in Cannon Beach, Ore. Cannon Beach, a popular tourist destination, reopened Monday, July 17, 2023, after closing due to a cougar sighting near the iconic Haystack Rock. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday the cougar had moved on, as confirmed by wildlife and law enforcement officials. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
The Associated Press
CANNON BEACH, Ore. — Oregon’s Cannon Beach, which was closed over the weekend after a cougar was spotted on the iconic Haystack Rock, reopened to visitors Monday following the animal’s departure.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said officials confirmed that the big cat had moved on from the craggy coastal formation. A game camera captured an image of it leaving the rock Sunday night, and tracks were also found heading away, federal officials said.
Multiple agencies and organizations, from local and state police to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Parks and Recreation Department, responded to the cougar sighting Sunday morning. The beach was closed in order to protect people and allow it to return to its usual habitat.
State biologists believe the cougar ventured to Haystack Rock at low tide Saturday night to hunt birds, a behavior they have not previously witnessed at that site.
“While the forested areas along the coast are prime habitat for cougars, it is unusual that a cougar made its way on to Haystack Rock,” Paul Atwood, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in a statement. “Their primary food source is deer, but they will also consume elk, other mammals and birds.”
However, cougars have been documented traveling to other similar, small, offshore islands in Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson Megan Nagel said via email.
Haystack Rock, protected as part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is abundant with seabirds and sea life in the summer.
From March through September, tufted puffins, common murres, pigeon guillemot and black oystercatcher raise their young on the formation.
Part of the rock is closed year-round to all public use to protect nesting and roosting birds.
LOS ANGELES — Tribal leaders, scientists and conservation advocates buried Southern California’s most famous mountain lion Saturday in the mountains where the big cat once roamed.
After making his home in the urban Griffith Park — home of the Hollywood Sign — for the past decade, P-22 became a symbol for California’s endangered mountain lions and their decreasing genetic diversity. The mountain lion’s name comes from being the 22nd puma in a National Park Service study.
The death of the couga r late last year set off a debate between the tribes in the Los Angeles area and wildlife officials over whether scientists could keep samples of the mountain lion’s remains for future testing and research.
Some representatives of the Chumash, Tataviam and Gabrielino (Tongva) peoples argued that samples taken during the necropsy should be buried with the rest of his body in the ancestral lands where he spent his life. Some tribal elders said keeping the specimens for scientific testing would be disrespectful to their traditions. Mountain lions are regarded as relatives and considered teachers in LA’s tribal communities.
Tribal representatives, wildlife officials and others discussed a potential compromise in recent weeks, but it was not immediately clear Monday what conclusion the group reached before P-22 was buried in an unspecified location in the Santa Monica Mountains on Saturday.
The traditional tribal burial included songs, prayers and sage smoke cleansings, according to Alan Salazar, a tribal member of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and a descendent of the Chumash tribe.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where the cougar’s remains had been kept in a freezer before the burial, called the burial a “historically significant ceremony.”
“The death of P-22 has affected all of us and he will forever be a revered icon and ambassador for wildlife conservation,” the museum said in a statement Monday.
Salazar, who attended the ceremony, said he believes P-22’s legacy will help wildlife officials and scientists realize the importance of being respectful to animals going forward.
Beth Pratt, the California executive director for the National Wildlife Federation who also attended the ceremony, wrote on Facebook that the burial “ helped me achieve some measure of peace” as she grieves the animal’s death.
“I can also imagine P-22 at peace now, with such a powerful and caring send-off to the next place,” she wrote. “As we laid him to rest, a red-tailed hawk flew overhead and called loudly, perhaps there to help him on his journey.”
Los Angeles and Mumbai are the world’s only major cities where large cats have been a regular presence for years — mountain lions in one, leopards in the other — though pumas began roaming the streets of Santiago, Chile, during pandemic lockdowns.
Wildlife officials believe P-22 was born about 12 years ago in the western Santa Monica Mountains, but left because of his father’s aggression and his own struggle to find a mate amid a dwindling population. That drove the cougar to cross two heavily traveled freeways and migrate east to Griffith Park, where a wildlife biologist captured him on a trail camera in 2012.
His journey over the freeways inspired a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area highway that will allow big cats and other animals safe passage between the mountains and wildlands to the north. The bridge broke ground in April.
P-22 was captured last December in a residential backyard following dog attacks. Examinations revealed a skull fracture — the result of being hit by a car — and chronic illnesses including a skin infection and diseases of the kidneys and liver. The city’s cherished big cat was euthanized five days later.
Los Angeles celebrated his life last month at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park in a star-studded memorial that featured musical performances, tribal blessings, speeches about the importance of P-22’s life and wildlife conservation, and a video message from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
To honor the place where the animal made his home among the city’s urban sprawl, a boulder from Griffith Park was brought to the gravesite in the Santa Monica Mountains and placed near P-22’s grave, Salazar said.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The life of Los Angeles’ most famous mountain lion followed a path known only to the biggest of Hollywood stars: Discovered on-camera in 2012, the cougar adopted a stage name and enjoyed a decade of celebrity status before his tragic death late last year.
The popular puma gained fame as P-22 and cast a spotlight on the troubled population of California’s endangered mountain lions and their decreasing genetic diversity. Now, with his remains stored in a freezer at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, wildlife officials and representatives from the region’s tribal communities are debating his next act.
Biologists and conservationists want to retain samples of P-22’s tissue, fur and whiskers for scientific testing to aid in future wildlife research. But some representatives of the Chumash, Tataviam and Gabrielino (Tongva) peoples say his body should be returned, untouched, to the ancestral lands where he spent his life so he can be honored with a traditional burial.
In tribal communities here, mountain lions are regarded as relatives and considered teachers. P-22 is seen as an extraordinary animal, according to Alan Salazar, a tribal member of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and a descendent of the Chumash tribe who said his death should be honored appropriately.
“We want to bury him like he’s a ‘wot,’ like a ‘tomier,’ ” Salazar said, “which are two of the words for chief or leader” in the Chumash and Tataviam languages, respectively. “Because that’s what he was.”
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<p>The death of Los Angeles’ most famous mountain lion has highlighted the troubled population of California’s endangered mountain lions. AP correspondent Stefanie Dazio reports.</p>
Likely born about 12 years ago in the western Santa Monica Mountains, wildlife officials believe the aggression of P-22′s father and his own struggle to find a mate amid a dwindling population drove the cougar to cross two heavily traveled freeways and migrate east.
He made his debut in 2012, captured on a trail camera by biologist Miguel Ordeñana in Griffith Park, home of the Hollywood sign and part of ancestral Gabrielino (Tongva) land.
Promptly tagged and christened P-22 — as the 22nd puma in a National Park Service study — he spawned a decade of devotion among Californians, who saw themselves mirrored in his bachelor status, his harrowing journey to the heart of Los Angeles and his prime real estate in Griffith Park amid the city’s urban sprawl. Los Angeles and Mumbai are the world’s only major cities where large cats have been a regular presence for years — mountain lions in one, leopards in the other — though pumas began roaming the streets of Santiago, Chile, during pandemic lockdowns.
Angelenos celebrated his life on Saturday at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park in a star-studded memorial that featured musical performances, tribal blessings, speeches about the importance of P-22′s life and wildlife conservation, and a video message from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Proceeds from merchandise sales of P-22 T-shirts, toys and prints went to the “Save the LA Cougars” campaign. The group was inspired by P-22 to advocate for a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area freeway that will allow big cats and other animals safe passage between the mountains and wildlands to the north. The bridge broke ground in April.
They captured P-22 on Dec. 12 in a residential backyard in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood. Examinations revealed a skull fracture — the result of being hit by a car — and chronic illnesses including a skin infection and diseases of the kidneys and liver.
The city’s cherished big cat was euthanized five days later.
Los Angeles mourned P-22 as one of its own, with songs, stories and murals crying “long live the king.” Post-It notes of remembrance blanketed an exhibit wall at the Natural History Museum and children’s paw print messages covered a tableau outside the LA Zoo.
While fame is fleeting for most celebrities, P-22′s legacy lives on — though in what form is now up for debate.
The Natural History Museum took possession of the animal’s remains, prompting swift condemnation by tribal leaders who feared P-22′s body could be taxidermized and put on display. Samples taken during the animal’s necropsy also are causing concerns among the tribal communities about burying the cougar intact.
“In order to continue on your journey into the afterlife, you have to be whole,” said Desireé Martinez, an archaeologist and member of the Gabrielino (Tongva) community.
A year before P-22′s death, Ordeñana — the wildlife biologist whose camera first spotted the cougar and is now a senior manager of community science at the Natural History Museum — had applied for a permit from the state for the museum to receive the mountain lion’s remains when he died. Typically an animal carcass would be discarded.
Ordeñana and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife have apologized, saying they should have spoken with the tribes from the start.
Museum, state and other officials began talks with the tribes Monday in the hopes of reaching a compromise. Ordeñana and other scientists are advocating to retain at least some of P-22′s tissue samples to preserve future research opportunities for the endangered animals as new technologies and techniques arise.
“We’re trying to see what can we do differently — regarding outreach, regarding our process — that is feasible for us as an institution,” Ordeñana said, “but respectful of both the scientific and the cultural-historic legacy of these animals.”
Salazar and Martinez, however, do not believe samples should be taken from the animal’s remains and held by the museum in perpetuity.
“We’ve been studied like the mountain lion has been studied,” Salazar said. “Those bones of my tribal ancestors are in boxes so they can be studied by future generations. We’re not a science project.”
Beth Pratt, the California executive director for the National Wildlife Federation who emceed Saturday’s memorial and a key player in developing the wildlife crossing, said it’s important to balance the different arguments to ensure the diminishing LA cougar population has a future.
“We do need data from these animals, even P-22, for science,” said Pratt, who calls him “the Brad Pitt” of pumas.
Chuck Bonham, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the P-22 discussions have forced his agency and others to reckon with their outreach to California’s tribes.
“I think he’ll live forever in this way,” Bonham said.
Martinez, of the Gabrielino (Tongva) community, said the beloved mountain lion’s death also symbolizes how humans must take responsibility for respecting animals’ lives.
“We are wildlife. We are creatures of nature, just as all the animals and plants are,” Martinez said. “What can we do to make sure that the creatures that we are sharing this nature with have the ability to survive and live on — just like us?”
LOS ANGELES — The life of Los Angeles’ most famous mountain lion followed a path known only to the biggest of Hollywood stars: Discovered on-camera in 2012, the cougar adopted a stage name and enjoyed a decade of celebrity status before his tragic death late last year.
The popular puma gained fame as P-22 and cast a spotlight on the troubled population of California’s endangered mountain lions and their decreasing genetic diversity. Now, with his remains stored in a freezer at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, wildlife officials and representatives from the region’s tribal communities are debating his next act.
Biologists and conservationists want to retain samples of P-22’s tissue, fur and whiskers for scientific testing to aid in future wildlife research. But some representatives of the Chumash, Tataviam and Gabrielino (Tongva) peoples say his body should be returned, untouched, to the ancestral lands where he spent his life so he can be honored with a traditional burial.
In tribal communities here, mountain lions are regarded as relatives and considered teachers. P-22 is seen as an extraordinary animal, according to Alan Salazar, a tribal member of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and a descendent of the Chumash tribe who said his death should be honored appropriately.
“We want to bury him like he’s a ‘wot,’ like a ‘tomier,’ ” Salazar said, “which are two of the words for chief or leader” in the Chumash and Tataviam languages, respectively. “Because that’s what he was.”
Likely born about 12 years ago in the western Santa Monica Mountains, wildlife officials believe the aggression of P-22’s father and his own struggle to find a mate amid a dwindling population drove the cougar to cross two heavily traveled freeways and migrate east.
He made his debut in 2012, captured on a trail camera by biologist Miguel Ordeñana in Griffith Park, home of the Hollywood sign and part of ancestral Gabrielino (Tongva) land.
Promptly tagged and christened P-22 — as the 22nd puma in a National Park Service study — he spawned a decade of devotion among Californians, who saw themselves mirrored in his bachelor status, his harrowing journey to the heart of Los Angeles and his prime real estate in Griffith Park amid the city’s urban sprawl. Los Angeles and Mumbai are the world’s only major cities where large cats live — mountain lions in one, leopards in the other.
Angelenos will celebrate his life on Saturday at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park in a memorial put on by the “Save LA Cougars.” P-22 inspired the group to campaign for a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area freeway that will allow big cats and other animals safe passage between the mountains and wildlands to the north. The bridge broke ground in April.
P-22′s star dimmed last November, when he killed a Chihuahua on a dogwalker’s leash in the Hollywood Hills and likely attacked another weeks later. Wildlife officials said the puma seemed to be “exhibiting signs of distress,” in part due to aging.
They captured P-22 on Dec. 12 in a residential backyard in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood. Examinations revealed a skull fracture — the result of being hit by a car — and chronic illnesses including a skin infection and diseases of the kidneys and liver.
The city’s cherished big cat was euthanized five days later.
Los Angeles mourned P-22 as one of its own, with songs, stories and murals crying “long live the king.” Post-It notes of remembrance blanketed an exhibit wall at the Natural History Museum and children’s paw print messages covered a tableau outside the LA Zoo.
While fame is fleeting for most celebrities, P-22’s legacy lives on — though in what form is now up for debate.
The Natural History Museum took possession of the animal’s remains, prompting swift condemnation by tribal leaders who feared P-22′s body could be taxidermized and put on display. Samples taken during the animal’s necropsy also are causing concerns among the tribal communities about burying the cougar intact.
“In order to continue on your journey into the afterlife, you have to be whole,” said Desireé Martinez, an archaeologist and member of the Gabrielino (Tongva) community.
A year before P-22’s death, Ordeñana — the wildlife biologist whose camera first spotted the cougar and is now a senior manager of community science at the Natural History Museum — had applied for a permit from the state for the museum to receive the mountain lion’s remains when he died. Typically an animal carcass would be discarded.
Ordeñana and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife have apologized, saying they should have spoken with the tribes from the start.
Museum, state and other officials began talks with the tribes Monday in the hopes of reaching a compromise. Ordeñana and other scientists are advocating to retain at least some of P-22’s tissue samples to preserve future research opportunities for the endangered animals as new technologies and techniques arise.
“We’re trying to see what can we do differently — regarding outreach, regarding our process — that is feasible for us as an institution,” Ordeñana said, “but respectful of both the scientific and the cultural-historic legacy of these animals.”
Salazar and Martinez, however, do not believe samples should be taken from the animal’s remains and held by the museum in perpetuity.
“We’ve been studied like the mountain lion has been studied,” Salazar said. “Those bones of my tribal ancestors are in boxes so they can be studied by future generations. We’re not a science project.”
Beth Pratt, California executive director for the National Wildlife Federation and a key player in developing the wildlife crossing, said it’s important to balance the different arguments to ensure the diminishing LA cougar population has a future.
“We do need data from these animals, even P-22, for science,” said Pratt, who calls him “the Brad Pitt” of pumas.
Chuck Bonham, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the P-22 discussions have forced his agency and others to reckon with their outreach to California’s tribes.
“I think he’ll live forever in this way,” Bonham said.
Martinez, of the Gabrielino (Tongva) community, said the beloved mountain lion’s death also symbolizes how humans must take responsibility for respecting animals’ lives.
“We are wildlife. We are creatures of nature, just as all the animals and plants are,” Martinez said. “What can we do to make sure that the creatures that we are sharing this nature with have the ability to survive and live on — just like us?”
An artist has devoted a sweeping new street mural to the memory of one of Los Angeles’ most famous residents: P-22, the celebrated mountain lion who lived in the city and was recently euthanized amid worsening health and injuries likely caused by a car
LOS ANGELES — An artist has devoted a sweeping new street mural to the memory of one of Los Angeles’ most famous residents.
The subject? P-22, the celebrated mountain lion who took up residence in the city and was euthanized last weekend amid worsening health and injuries likely caused by a car.
With a sweep of her brush, Corie Mattie has erected a memorial on the side of a building showing the beloved big cat wearing a crown with the words “Long Live the King.” Earlier this year, she painted a separate mural devoted to P-22, where residents left flowers after the cougar died.
“He’s still the king of the hill,” Mattie told KABC-TV. “There’s never going to be another P-22.”
P-22 became the face of a campaign to build a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area freeway to give big cats, coyotes, deer and other wildlife a safe path to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains, where they have room to roam.
The cougar was regularly recorded on security cameras strolling through residential areas near his home in Griffith Park, an oasis of hiking trails and picnic areas in the middle of the city.
Long outfitted with a tracking collar, P-22 was captured for examination in a residential backyard Dec. 12, a month after killing a Chihuahua on a dogwalker’s leash.
Wildlife officials said the decision was made to euthanize after veterinarians determined P-22 had a skull fracture and chronic illnesses including a skin infection and diseases of the kidneys and liver.
Daniel Richards, a 55-year-old tour guide, said it was sad to learn of P-22’s passing and he hopes the mural will stay.
“He’s kind of a legend,” Richards said of the mountain lion. “It’s a really great mural and really memorializes something that was unique here in the city of Los Angeles.”
P-22 had been tranquilized Monday in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood for a medical exam. Prior to his capture, wildlife officials expressed worry that he was “exhibiting signs of distress.” The big cat had also raised concerns after snatching a leashed Chihuahua from a dog walker last month. The dog did not survive.
A tranquilized P-22 being transported for a veterinary assessment earlier this week.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP
Veterinarians with the San Diego Zoo Safari Park found that P-22 had “significant trauma” to his head and internal organs, according to the wildlife department. This confirmed suspicions that he had suffered a recent injury, which officials said was likely a vehicle strike. He also had kidney disease, arthritis and “extensive” parasitic skin infection. The combination of these conditions and his age led the veterinary team to “unanimously” recommend euthanasia.
P-22 first appeared in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park in 2012, the Los Angeles Times said in its comprehensive obituary of the celebrated cat. Scientists fitted him with a radio collar to study his movements, and he quickly became a local celebrity. His star continued to rise with a story from the Times that year and then a National Geographic profile.
To get to the park from his presumed birthplace in the Santa Monica Mountains, P-22 had to cross two perilous freeways, the 405 and 101. Though he survived the journey, he was left more or less boxed in by the busy roads and would have had to cross back to find a mate. Instead, he roamed the Los Angeles area solo for a decade.
P-22 sticks his tongue out in a 2014 photo taken in Griffith Park.
National Park Service via AP
When environmentalists proposed a wildlife bridge over the 101 to help animals cross the freeway, P-22 became the face of the project. Construction on the bridge began in April, the Times noted.
He also became the poster animal for efforts to ban rodenticides after he became ill in 2014 following rat poison exposure.
P-22 suffering from mange in 2014, left, and after his recovery in 2015. Wildlife officials believed his overall poor health in the earlier photo was related to rat poison exposure.
Fans of P-22 mourned his loss, and conservation advocates hoped that even after his death, he would continue to spur change to protect mountain lions from threats like vehicle strikes.
“My heart breaks for P-22,” J.P. Rose, the policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity’s Urban Wildlands program, said in a statement sent to HuffPost. “I hope we can channel this grief into action to safely coexist with and protect mountain lions, which are headed toward extinction in Southern California.”
LOS ANGELES — P-22, the celebrated mountain lion that took up residence in the middle of Los Angeles and became a symbol of urban pressures on wildlife, was euthanized Saturday after dangerous changes in his behavior led to examinations that revealed worsening health and injuries likely caused by a car.
Officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the decision to euthanize the beloved big cat was made after veterinarians determined it had a skull fracture and chronic illnesses including a skin infection and diseases of the kidneys and liver.
“His prognosis was deemed poor,” said the agency’s director, Chuck Bonham, who fought back tears during a news conference announcing the cougar’s death. “This really hurts … it’s been an incredibly difficult several days.”
The animal became the face of the campaign to build a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area freeway to give big cats, coyotes, deer and other wildlife a safe path to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains, where they have room to roam.
Seth Riley, wildlife branch chief with the National Park Service, called P-22 “an ambassador for his species,” with the wildlife bridge a symbol of his lasting legacy.
State and federal wildlife officials announced earlier this month that they were concerned that P-22 “may be exhibiting signs of distress” due in part to aging, noting the animal needed to be studied to determine what steps to take.
The aging mountain was captured in a residential backyard in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Dec. 12, a month after killing a Chihuahua on a dogwalker’s leash. An anonymous report that indicated P-22 may have been struck by a vehicle was confirmed by a CT scan that revealed injuries to his head and torso, wildlife officials said.
State authorities determined that the only likely options were euthanasia or confinement in an animal sanctuary — a difficult prospect for a wild lion.
P-22 was believed to be 12 years old, longer-lived than most wild male mountain lions.
His name was his number in a National Park Service study of the challenges the wide-roaming big cats face in habitat fragmented by urban sprawl and hemmed in by massive freeways that are not only dangerous to cross but are also barriers to the local population’s genetic diversity.
The cougar was regularly recorded on security cameras strolling through residential areas near his home in Griffith Park, an island of wilderness and picnic areas in the middle of Los Angeles.
“P-22’s survival on an island of wilderness in the heart of Los Angeles captivated people around the world and revitalized efforts to protect our diverse native species and ecosystems,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement Saturday.
Ground was broken this year on the wildlife crossing, which will stretch 200 feet (60.96 meters) over U.S. 101. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2025.
P-22 usually hunted deer and coyotes, but in November the National Park Service confirmed that the cougar had attacked and killed a Chihuahua mix that was being walked in the narrow streets of the Hollywood Hills.
The cougar also is suspected of attacking another Chihuahua in the Silver Lake neighborhood this month.
Beth Pratt with the National Wildlife Federation said she hopes P-22’s life and death will inspire the construction of more wildlife crossings in California and across the nation. The nonprofit was a major advocate for the LA-area bridge.
“He changed the way we look at LA. And his influencer status extended around the world, as he inspired millions of people to see wildlife as their neighbors,” Pratt said.
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Associated Press reporter John Antczak contributed.
LOS ANGELES — The famous Hollywood-roaming mountain lion known as P-22 is drastically underweight and was probably struck and injured by a car, wildlife experts who conducted a health examination on the big cat said Tuesday.
The male cougar, whose killing of a leashed dog has raised concerns about its behavior, probably won’t be released back into the wild and could be sent to an animal sanctuary or euthanized, depending on its health, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
“Nobody is taking that kind of decision lightly,” spokesperson Jordan Traverso said during a videoconference. He added the agency understands “the importance of this animal to the community and to California,” and “we recognize the sadness of it.”
P-22 was captured and tranquilized on Monday in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood near his usual haunt of Griffith Park, an island of wilderness and picnic areas in the midst of the Los Angeles urban sprawl.
State and federal wildlife officials announced last week that they were concerned the aging cat “may be exhibiting signs of distress” due in part to aging, noting the animal needed to be studied to determine what steps to take.
Tuesday’s examination found the cat had an eye injury, probably received from being hit by a car and more tests would be conducted to determine if the animal suffered additional head trauma, said Deana Clifford, the senior wildlife veterinarian with the department.
A computerized tomography scan is scheduled for later this week to look into other possible chronic health issues that may have caused his decline, Clifford said.
P-22 was first captured in 2012 and fitted with a GPS tracking collar as part of a National Park Service study. The cougar is regularly recorded on security cameras strolling through residential areas near Griffith Park.
P-22 is believed to be about 12 years old, making him the oldest Southern California cougar currently being studied. Most mountain lions live about a decade.
“This is an old cat, and old cats get old-cat diseases,” Clifford said. “Any of us who had cats at home have seen this.”
“We’re working through all of those issues and we’ll take a totality of the findings into account to try to make the best decision we can for the cat,” she said.
P-22 usually hunts deer and coyotes, but in November the National Park Service confirmed that the cougar had attacked and killed a Chihuahua mix that was being walked in the narrow streets of the Hollywood Hills.
The cougar also is suspected of attacking another Chihuahua in the Silver Lake neighborhood this month.
P-22 has lived much of his life in Griffith Park, crossing two major freeways to get there. He was the face of the campaign to build a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area freeway to give big cats, coyotes, deer and other wildlife a safe path to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains, where they have room to roam.
Ground was broken this year on the bridge, which will stretch 200 feet (some 60 meters) over U.S. 101. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2025.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The famous Hollywood-roaming mountain lion known as P-22 is drastically underweight and was probably struck and injured by a car, wildlife experts who conducted a health examination on the big cat said Tuesday.
The male cougar, whose killing of a leashed dog has raised concerns about its behavior, probably won’t be released back into the wild and could be sent to an animal sanctuary or euthanized, depending on its health, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
“Nobody is taking that kind of decision lightly,” spokesperson Jordan Traverso said during a videoconference. He added the agency understands “the importance of this animal to the community and to California,” and “we recognize the sadness of it.”
Tuesday’s examination found the cat had an eye injury, probably received from being hit by a car.
State and federal wildlife officials announced last week that they were concerned the aging cat “may be exhibiting signs of distress” due in part to aging, noting the animal needed to be studied to determine what steps to take.
Tuesday’s examination found the cat had an eye injury, probably received from being hit by a car and more tests would be conducted to determine if the animal suffered additional head trauma, said Deana Clifford, the senior wildlife veterinarian with the department.
A computerized tomography scan is scheduled for later this week to look into other possible chronic health issues that may have caused his decline, Clifford said.
P-22 was first captured in 2012 and fitted with a GPS tracking collar as part of a National Park Service study. The cougar is regularly recorded on security cameras strolling through residential areas near Griffith Park.
P-22 is believed to be about 12 years old, making him the oldest Southern California cougar currently being studied. Most mountain lions live about a decade.
“This is an old cat, and old cats get old-cat diseases,” Clifford said. “Any of us who had cats at home have seen this.”
“We’re working through all of those issues and we’ll take a totality of the findings into account to try to make the best decision we can for the cat,” she said.
P-22 usually hunts deer and coyotes, but in November the National Park Service confirmed that the cougar had attacked and killed a Chihuahua mix that was being walked in the narrow streets of the Hollywood Hills.
The cougar also is suspected of attacking another Chihuahua in the Silver Lake neighborhood this month.
P-22 has lived much of his life in Griffith Park, crossing two major freeways to get there. He was the face of the campaign to build a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area freeway to give big cats, coyotes, deer and other wildlife a safe path to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains, where they have room to roam.
Ground was broken this year on the bridge, which will stretch 200 feet (some 60 meters) over U.S. 101. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2025.
It’s not uncommon for Idaho wildlife officials to be called for help when a moose, mountain lion, black bear or other wild animals wander into one of the state’s rural communities
BOISE, Idaho — It’s not uncommon for Idaho wildlife officials to be called for help when a moose, mountain lion, black bear or other wild animals wander into one of the state’s rural communities.
But Idaho Fish and Game officials are asking the public for help with a particularly unusual find — a 3.5-foot (1-meter) alligator that was discovered hiding in the brush of a rural neighborhood about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Boise.
Southwest Region spokesperson Brian Pearson told the Idaho Statesman that a New Plymouth resident was walking their dog Thursday evening when they noticed something moving in the brush. Further investigation revealed the alligator — a creature commonly found in the coastal wetlands of the southeastern U.S., but certainly not native to Idaho.
Pearson said the resident put the alligator in a nearby horse trailer until Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer could pick it up on Friday morning. The department has the animal in captivity for now, but Pearson said it will be euthanized or given to a licensed facility unless the owner is located.
Idaho Fish and Game officials are hoping members of the public will call the department if they have any information about the alligator’s origins.
