Mountain lion P-22, the "Hollywood cat," euthanized due to injuries, poor health

P-22, the celebrity mountain lion known as “the Hollywood cat” because he famously roamed the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles for over a decade, has died, state wildlife officials announced Saturday.

The beloved animal, who helped raise awareness for California’s big cat population, was “compassionately euthanized” after he was discovered with chronic health issues and severe injuries from what officials believe was a vehicle strike, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said in a news release.

“P-22’s advanced age, combined with chronic, debilitating, life-shortening conditions and the clear need for extensive long-term veterinary intervention left P-22 with no hope for a positive outcome,” the department said.

FILE – This Nov. 2014, file photo provided by the National Park Service shows a mountain lion known as P-22, photographed in the Griffith Park area of Los Angeles.

U.S. National Park Service, via AP

P-22, who was estimated to be around 12-years-old, had recently appeared to be exhibiting “signs of distress,” killing a leashed pet last month, and attacking others. The behavior led CDFW officials to decide that he needed to be captured and evaluated, which they did on Dec. 12 in a backyard in the Los Feliz neighborhood.

Later, officials received a tip that the cat may have been hit by a vehicle.

After medical staff at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park performed tests and scans on the feline, they came to the conclusion that P-22 would be euthanized due to his seriously deteriorated health. The tests showed he had “significant trauma” to his head, right eye and internal organs, CDFW wrote.

“The examination also revealed significant pre-existing illnesses, including irreversible kidney disease, chronic weight loss, extensive parasitic skin infection over his entire body and localized arthritis,” the department said.

CDFW said it would not look into the details of the vehicle collision, as it was the fault of P-22 or of the driver.

“It is an eventuality that arises from habitat loss and fragmentation,” the release reads. “It underscores the need for thoughtful construction of wildlife crossings and well-planned spaces that provide wild animals room to roam.”

This photo provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows P-22 transported to a wild animal care facility for a full health evaluation on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022 in the Hollywood Hills. 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, was euthanized after dangerous changes in his behavior led to examinations that revealed poor health and an injury likely caused by a car.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, via AP

State wildlife officials first captured and collared P-22 in March 2012, when he was believed to be about 2-years-old, according to the National Park Service. He is one of close to 100 mountain lions with NPS biologists have been tracking and studying since 2002.

“Mountain lion P-22 has had an extraordinary life and captured the hearts of the people of Los Angeles and beyond,” CDFW said. “The most difficult, but compassionate choice was to respectfully minimize his suffering and stress by humanely ending his journey.”

Beth Pratt, California regional executive director for the nonprofit National Wildlife Federation, wrote a heartfelt eulogy for the feline on Saturday, saying “he changed us.”

“It’s hard to imagine I will be writing about P-22 in the past tense now,” Pratt wrote. “We will all be grappling with the loss of P-22 for some time, trying to make sense of a Los Angeles without this magnificent wild creature.”

P-22 inspired positive change for wildlife in Southern California, she wrote. He is often given credit for the $87 million Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing which is being constructed over the 101 Freeway in the Agoura Hills. When complete, it will allow animals to roam more freely without the threat of being hit by cars.

“He showed people around the world that we need to ensure our roads, highways, and communities are better and safer when people and wildlife can freely travel to find food, shelter, and families,” Pratt said.