Famed OC Mountain Lion 'Uno' Fatally Struck By Vehicle

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — An Orange County mountain lion who landed in the public eye this summer after a close encounter with a wildlife photographer has died after she was hit by a car, the UC Davis California Mountain Lion Project reported.

The big cat, named F312 but nicknamed "Uno" due to her having an injured eye, was hit by a car while crossing Santiago Canyon Road in the Santa Ana Mountains on Thursday.

According to a CMLP official, Uno died due to her massive head and chest injuries before "significant treatment" could be started.

"Sadly, it's become far too easy to predict how a mountain lion will die in Southern California," Tiffany Yap, senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity, told KTLA.

“California pumas face too many threats from humans, and that’s particularly true in the Santa Ana Mountains where Uno perished,” Yap said. “We can help prevent these tragedies by making mountain lion protections permanent and building more crossings so people and wildlife can travel safely.”

Another well-loved mountain lion, P-22, died after a similar incident after being hit by a car near Griffith Park in 2022.

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