He was the rock star of Southern California's mountain lions, but a number of medical issues led to him being euthanized last December. Now, the final results of a necropsy details the myriad of issues which led to the decision involving P-22.
After the mountain lion started behaving erratically late last year, he was captured for an examination. National Park Service, State Fish and Wildlife, Los Angeles Zoo, and San Diego Zoo biologists and veterinarians teamed up to evaluate the big cat.
They determined P-22 had physical and chronic health issues so severe that the most humane thing to do was to euthanize him. The just-released necropsy results show injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle. They say the big cat was also underweight, had arthritis, kidney disease, and a skin disorder.
P-22 became famous after being photographed with the Hollywood sign as the background. It was adopted as the symbol of the campaign to build the world's largest wildlife crossing over Highway 101 in Agoura Hills, a project which is currently underway.
The mountain lion was part of a decades-old National Park Service research project, which included putting radio collars on some of the big cats so biologists could track their movements, and learn more about their lives.
The mountain lion was so beloved that a memorial service was held for it at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
