Roving mountain lion killed trying to cross US highway

CASTAIC (California) — A young mountain lion that crossed roads and highways on a 50-mile (80-kilometre) journey to reach a new home north of Los Angeles has died under the wheels of a car, authorities said.

The mountain lion, which was tagged and known to researchers as P-32, died on Monday (Aug 10), according to the National Park Service.

The mountain lion, also known as a cougar or puma, a juvenile believed to be about 21 months old, crossed from the Santa Monica Mountains into Los Padres National Forest in April and had been “zig-zagging” through the area ever since, park service spokeswoman Kate Kuykendall said.

The Santa Monica Mountains are ringed by densely populated urban areas that make it difficult for mountain lions — which need ranges of up to 200 square miles (500 sq. kilometers) for hunting and breeding — to roam. The males are extremely territorial.

Dispersal of the pumas is critical for maintaining the long-term genetic health of the population.

An ongoing study of the region’s pumas that began in 2002 found that most of the young males died prematurely, either from being struck by vehicles or after a fight with a dominant adult male.

A dozen mountain lions have been found dead on roads since the study began. Only three mountain lions have been known to have successfully crossed US Route 101, Kuykendall said.

One of those was P-32.

A survivor, P-22, lives in a territory believed to span only about 8 square miles (20 sq. kilometres) in Griffith Park, a wilderness area in the middle of Los Angeles. He became a celebrity when he was handsomely photographed at night with the lighted Hollywood sign in the background. AP