Mountain Lion That Crossed 101 Freeway Twice Found Dead

AGOURA HILLS, CA – National Park Service officials announced Wednesday that P-55, a 3-year-old mountain lion that managed to cross the Ventura (101) Freeway twice, has died.

It was unknown exactly when or how the lion died, because the collar he was wearing failed to emit a mortality signal, NPS officials posted on their Twitter page.

"By the time our biologist found him his remains were already too decomposed," the Tweet said. "Possible causes of death to this seemingly healthy animal include rodenticide poisoning or perhaps a fight with another male, although there were no signs of a struggle."

Rodent poison is considered a major threat to the mountain lions that roam the Santa Monica Mountains, with the animals often eating rodents that ingested the poison.

According to the NPS, P-55 crossed the 101 Freeway twice, once from south to north, then again back south, as he roamed the Santa Monica Mountains. The lion made some news in February when it was caught on camera peering through a sliding glass door of a house in Westlake Village, park officials said.

"He was a beautiful animal who survived longer than most males in the Santa Monica Mountains, but ultimately met his end at a relatively young age," according to the NPS.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock