P-22 Statue In Griffith Park Proposed By LA Officials

LOS ANGELES, CA – The city’s late, great mountain lion P-22 could soon be honored by a memorial installed in Griffith Park.

City officials are considering options to install a memorial, including a possible statue, for the puma on the Tom LaBonge Panorama Trail, one of the main hiking routes near Griffith Observatory.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez introduced the effort at Wednesday’s City Council Meeting, where it was sent to the council’s Neighborhood and Community Enrichment Committee for further discussion.

After he was born around 2010 in the western Santa Monica Mountains, P-22 trekked east across the 101 and 405 Freeways – the only cougar known to successfully complete both risky crossings – before eventually making a home around Griffith Park.

First identified by wildlife officials in 2012, he soon became one of Los Angeles' most famous residents and became a frequent fixture in backyard surveillance camera footage and news reports.

He became a symbol of urban wildlife safety and conservation. P-22 was an inspiration for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, which is meant to reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife.

P-22 was euthanized in December for serious health issues, including injuries he sustained after being hit by a car. He was celebrated at a sold-out tribute at the Greek Theatre last month.

He was buried at an undisclosed location in the Santa Monica Mountains after a tribal ceremony earlier this month.