P-22 To Be Captured Following Series Of Dangerous Encounters

LOS ANGELES, CA — The world's most famous mountain lion may not be a Hollywood resident for much longer. The National Park Service announced plans to capture and evaluate P-22 after the famous lion killed a pet dog, attacked another and had run-ins with humans and pets in recent weeks.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service announced Thursday they plan to capture P-22 to evaluate his health and "determine the best next steps for the animal while also prioritizing the safety of surrounding communities."

What such steps might entail were not disclosed. The cat "may be exhibiting signs of distress," according to park service officials.

"This is an unprecedented situation in which a mountain lion has continued to survive in such an urban setting," according to the DFW statement. "As P-22 has aged, however, the challenges associated with living on an island of habitat seem to be increasing and scientists are noting a recent change in his behavior. This underscores the consequences of a lack of habitat connectivity for mountain lions and all wildlife."

P-22 has been living in the Hollywood Hills almost a decade after he became the only lion ever recorded to successfully survive crossings of the San Diego (405) and Hollywood (101) freeways to reach his current roaming grounds in the Griffith Park area. He was famously captured on camera prowling the city one night with the Hollywood sign lit up behind him. He is believed to be about 11 years old, making him the oldest cat in the National Park Service study of Southland lions. He was initially captured and outfitted with a tracking collar in 2012. At the time of his last capture, he weighed 123 pounds.

Dubbed the "Brad Pitt of mountain lions" (he’s famous, he photographs well and he’s single) the celebrity cat thrilled and terrified residents earlier this year when he strolled down Silver Lake Boulevard to Berkeley Circle.

A video widely shared on social media shows the cat walking down the sidewalk at 7 p.m. past cars and headlights, and lounging beside trash cans.

As his fame grew, he inspire the P-22 Festival and was periodically spotted around the city, even making his home underneath a Los Feliz house in 2015.

A year earlier, P-22 was afflicted with a serious case of mange believed to be linked to the ingestion of rat poison, but in time, he recovered.

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The decision to capture P-22 was met with praise from wildlife advocates.

"We must recognize when the limits of this unconnected space have been reached, and take action to ensure the well-being of P-22 and the community," Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, said in a written release.

"P-22 has always been in an unprecedented situation. Never has a mountain lion lived in such an urban setting in one of the world’s most populated cities. He is also a remarkably old mountain lion, living well past the normal life expectancy of his kind, and may now be exhibiting signs of distress," added Pratt. "Although he has always been impacted by the isolation the freeways caused him, as P-22 has aged, the challenges associated with living on an island of habitat seem to be increasing and the scientists are noting a recent change in his behavior."

The agencies stressed that they "do not require assistance" in capturing the animal, and asked the public to refrain from any efforts to do so.

SEE ALSO:

• Famous P-22 Mountain Lion Goes For Walk Deep In The City
• Famous Griffith Park Mountain Lion Shacks Up in Mansion's Crawl Space
• Celebrity Cougar P-22 Receives New Collar, Status Update
• Lion Becomes Instant Legend For Crossing The 405 Freeway
• It's A Girl! Meet LA's Newest Mountain Lion
• Mountain Lion Killed Trying to Cross the Freeway
• P-22 Mountain Lion To Be Featured In Nature Mural In Watts
• Gavin Newsom To Speak At Mountain Lion P-22 Festival

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.