The mountain lion known as P-22, photographed in the Griffith Park area near downtown Los Angeles, in 2014. via Associated Press The unconfirmed sighting of a mountain lion in a famous Los Angeles park has fueled a fresh bout of big cat fever for Angelenos. Reports from last week suggest that a lion was spotted padding around a parking lot on the western edge of Griffith Park, the same location a beloved cougar called P-22 prowled for a decade, with the Hollywood sign in the background.
Advertisement Video taken by Vladimir Polumiskov appears to show the newly sighted animal minding its own business. Polumiskov says he went back a second time to find the suspected male still there. “He is a beautiful, beautiful animal,” he told the Los Angeles Times .
The apparent sighting, which has yet to be verified by the National Park Service, has triggered fond memories. P-22, first spotted in 2012, became a California celebrity, and a symbol of efforts to protect the local community of big cats from the risks posed by urban life. In December 2022, local officials confirmed they’d euthanized P-22 after he was hit by a vehicle ― a common problem amid the city’s freeways and traffic.
His death caused an outpouring of appreciation: Thousands of people attended a P-22 memorial last year, which included musical performances and dances in his honor. Some attendees bore tattoos to mark their affection for the animal. Exciting news! We have been getting some reports of a mountain lion.
