Hollywood Mountain Lion P-22 Ends Reign in Euthanasia After Collision With Vehicle

After being diagnosed with illnesses, malnutrition, and an injury sustained in a collision with a car in Los Angeles, P-22, the adored Hollywood mountain lion, is put to death by euthanasia.

P-22's Reign

In comparison to a mountain lion's average normal range of 150 square miles, Griffith Park is tiny.

Miguel Ordeana, a biologist who had installed camera traps in the park, made the initial discovery of P-22 in February 2012 while reviewing overnight footage.

Ordeñana recalled that this enormous puma butt appears on his computer screen out of nowhere.

He initially found it hard to believe, but a later photo proved that the park had a fascinating new resident.

Hollywood Moutain Lion

P-22 appeared in the LA Times for the first time in August.

Steve Winter, a well-known nature photographer, set up his camera beneath the Hollywood sign after the big cat captured his attention. Before P-22 sauntered into the picture, he had to wait over a year. The picture was published in National Geographic, making the mountain lion a star.

Winter said that because they reside in a large urban area and can walk into a park that was once wild and home to a California cougar, it gave people hope. In the city of celebrities, he rose to fame.

When he was assumed to have killed a koala at the LA Zoo, the city loved him so much that they were willing to forgive him. Los Angeles has designated October 22 as "P-22 Day," according to NBC4 Los Angeles.

Captive King

He also came to represent a much grimmer reality for the mountain lions of California.

Raccoons, coyotes, and other small animals that are local prey are contaminated with the rat poison that has spread throughout Los Angeles.

In 2014, camera traps picked up P-22, who appeared sick, and authorities brought him in for care. P-22's mugshot went viral right away, but there was no laughing matter behind the grizzled and bemused expression.

According to NPR, P-22 was weak and afflicted with mange, which is thought to be a consequence of being exposed to rat poison.

One of the diseases that kill the majority of mountain lions is mange.

P-22 was once seen on video by Ordeana making somber mating calls. The development, including the freeways surrounding Griffith Park, ensured he was cut off from any potential females or mates and would never reproduce, so they would never be answered.

King in Decline

His downfall was brought about by his presence among the people he loved. He started acting erratically more frequently in the populated areas near the park when he was past the age of 12. He recently killed a chihuahua, a less endangered but fiercely protected species in Los Angeles.

P-22 was underweight, covered in mange, and struggling from an eye injury that most likely resulted from a car accident when authorities found him on December 12 in a backyard, according to Jeff Sikich, a biologist with the National Park Services who spent the most time with P-22. He would probably not be returned to the wild, it was confirmed at a press conference the following day.

On December 17, wildlife officials reported that veterinarians had advised humane euthanasia after a thorough health examination revealed a heart condition, kidney disease, and other serious illnesses.

The National Wildlife Federation's Beth Pratt, who witnessed P-22's final moments, expressed regret to P-22 that they had failed to make the world a more secure place for him.

Despite the tragedy of his passing, his devoted fans claim that he will always be an LA icon, BBC reports.