LOS ANGELES (AP) — P-22, the celebrated mountain lion that took up residence in the middle of Los Angeles and became a symbol of urban pressures on wildlife, has been euthanized. Fish and wildlife officials said Saturday the decision to euthanize the beloved big cat was made after veterinarians determined it had chronic illnesses as well as a skull fracture from likely being hit by a car. P-22 became the face of the campaign to build a wildlife crossing over a Los Angeles-area freeway to give big cats, coyotes, deer and other wildlife a safe path to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains, where they have room to roam.
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FILE - This pair of photos provided by the National Park Service shows the Southern California mountain lion known as P-22, left, in March, 2014 when he was suffering from mange, and at right in December 2015, without lesions or scabs. The mountain lion P-22 that took up residence in the middle of Los Angeles and became a symbol of urban pressures on wildlife, was euthanized Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, after dangerous changes in his behavior led to examinations that revealed poor health and an injury likely caused by a car. (National Park Service via AP, File)
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