Hollywood’s best known mountain lion has been euthanised after it was believed to be struck and injured in a car accident.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officials confirmed on Saturday that the cat known as P-22 had been put down after an examination found severe injuries and chronic health problems.
P-22 was captured last week by wildlife officials after it raised concerns for hunting down a leashed chihuahua dog in Hollywood Hills.
The CDFW said that the cat had an eye injury, probably after being hit by a car and they would conduct more tests to determine if the animal had additional head trauma.
After a full health evaluation, officials said they were left with “no hope for a positive outcome”.
“Mountain lion P-22 has had an extraordinary life and captured the hearts of the people of Los Angeles and beyond,” the Saturday statement said. “The most difficult, but compassionate choice was to respectfully minimize his suffering and stress by humanely ending his journey.”
P-22 was captured and tranquilised on 12 December in the trendy Los Feliz neighbourhood near his usual haunt of Griffith Park, an island of wilderness and picnic areas in the midst of the Los Angeles urban sprawl.
It was captured after wildlife officials raised concerns that the cat “may be exhibiting signs of distress”, due in part to old age, and wanted to study it for its well being.
The big cat made the sprawling Griffith Park its home for more than a decade and was often recorded on security cameras wandering across the freeways and residential areas of LA.
The animal was estimated to be the oldest South California cougar, currently at the age of 12, making it the oldest Southern California cougar currently being studied. Most mountain lions live for about a decade.
