LOS ANGELES (CN) — The mountain lion who reached international celebrity status in the Los Angeles area suffered multiple severe injuries before state authorities euthanized him, according to necropsy results.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service released a report Wednesday on the final postmortem examination of the beloved P-22 of Griffith Park. Their results confirmed P-22 had been suffering from multiple severe injuries and chronic conditions that impaired his ability to function in the wild.
The agencies captured and anesthetized P-22 on Dec. 12, 2022, after scientists noted changes in his behavior. Los Angeles Zoo staff examined and treated him, then transferred him to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for evaluation and a computed tomography scan. The zoo euthanized him on Dec. 17, 2022 after discovering his serious injuries and health problems.
The zoo’s veterinary pathologists also performed the lion’s postmortem examination. They found recent trauma to P-22’s head and right eye, including an orbital fracture with bleeding and early stages of scar tissue development. Those injuries were consistent with reports of a vehicle strike the night before his capture.
P-22 also had older injuries, including a diaphragmatic rupture where his liver and sections of connective tissue from his abdomen had herniated and reached his chest cavity.
Pathologists also confirmed P-22 was underweight, arthritic and had progressive, incurable kidney disease. He had a severe parasitic skin infection over his entire body caused by demodectic mange and a ringworm fungus. It is the first documented demodectic mange infection with a concurrent systemic ringworm infection in a California mountain lion.
Toxicology testing on P-22's liver at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at the University of California Davis revealed exposure to five anticoagulant rodenticide compounds. P-22 also had a toxin from a widely available rodenticide in his bloodstream.
A separate study, testing 247 mountain lions at the lab, showed 96% of tested animals had exposure to one or more such compounds. There have been at least seven related mortalities in Southern California mountain lions in 19 years.
P-22 was born in the Santa Monica Mountains, son of P-1. Biologists first captured and radio-collared him in March 2012, when he was estimated to be two years old. He was one of the oldest mountain lions in a study the feds have conducted since 2002, living for more than 10 years in Griffith Park on the smallest home range ever recorded for an adult male mountain lion.
After crossing two of the busiest freeways in the world, Highways 101 and 405, P-22 became isolated and never produced offspring. His new range meant restricted access to natural habitat and prey, and he was at increased risk for interactions with people, collisions with cars and exposure to rodenticides.
“As extraordinary as P-22’s life was — surviving against all odds — it is an increasingly common reality for wildlife," said the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Deana Clifford, a senior wildlife veterinarian for California, applauded the pathology report.
“They (zoo pathologists) provided excellent care for P-22 and conducted a detailed postmortem examination that shed plenty of light on this cat's condition,” Clifford said.
Jeff Sikich, lead field biologist of the federal mountain lion study, said P-22 was "fascinating" to study.
"Not only was he an important ambassador for urban wildlife, but his scientific contributions were also many. He helped us understand how mountain lions coexist with humans in this complex urban landscape, and his legacy will live on through our heightened awareness of how to live in harmony with wild neighbors and growing public support for wildlife crossings."
P-22’s death prompted an outpouring of grief on social media, and mourners gathered in Griffith Park to pay tribute to the lion.
Environmental advocates also responded to P-22's autopsy Wednesday.
“Many of us don’t realize how much our day-to-day lives affect wildlife until a necropsy report reveals all the ways our beloved puma suffered,” said Tiffany Yap, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.
“Thoughtless development and reckless use of toxic poisons to control pests have devastating consequences. We know that building more wildlife crossings and removing the deadliest rodenticides from the market will help. Let’s turn these plans into action to truly honor P-22 and protect our wild neighbors.”
The center is sponsoring Assembly Bill 1322, the California Ecosystems Protection Act of 2023. This bill proposes expanding restrictions on toxic rat poisons that are deadly to wildlife. It passed the Assembly, but needs Senate approval.
The center previously sponsored Assembly Bill 2344, the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2022. It required Caltrans to identify barriers to wildlife movement and prioritize crossing structures when building or improving roadways.
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