Dozens gather for hike in Griffith Park to remember P-22, the Southland's beloved big cat
Dozens gathered in Griffith Park Sunday afternoon to pay their respects to the "Hollywood Cat," more commonly known was P-22, who stole the hearts of Angelenos a decade ago.
"He's such an emblem that you can persevere and make the trail your own," said Arielle Lafuente, one of the many hikers hitting the big cat's stomping grounds in an act of respect for the local icon.
P-22 was "compassionately" euthanized on Saturday, due to an extensive amount of injuries consistent with a car crash, as well as a number of chronic illnesses, according to researchers. He had been captured days earlier, were observers noted that he was severely underweight.
Concerned with his recent behavior, after reports of attacks on pets and a woman, Department of Fish and Wildlife officials set about to capture the big cat to conduct tests and determine if something was causing him to act in such a manner.
He had spent the last 10 years darting in and out of Hollywood Hills resident's backyards and the spotlight, gathering a massive following around the Southland.
"He really is a lesson in wildlife connectivity and what we have to do in order to save, especially these top predators," said Gerry Hans with Friends of Griffith Park.
To honor the beloved big cat, community members organized the hike for 4 p.m. at the Charlie Turner Trailhead, located on W. Observatory Road, so they could walk through P-22's home terrain and remember what his presence meant.
"To make Griffith Park his home, and to flourish here was just unreal," Lafuente said, also noting that P-22's presence in the area was a "magic" realization for those Angelenos who took advantage of their proximity to the largest urban park in North America.
For many, he was the face of efforts to protect not only the endangered mountain lion population in California, but to protect wildlife in general.
"He made the importance of protecting our wildlife real for people," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, one of the many gathered to walk through P-22's home range. "That's what I want people to take away from this moment — that we are close to a period where we may not have our mountain lions alive anymore unless we make interventions in creating safe crossings over the highways."
P-22 was euthanized at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at around 12-years-old, which makes him the oldest mountain lion being surveyed by the National Park Service. He will be transported back to Los Angeles Natural History Museum, where he will be laid to rest.
