LETTER FROM LOS ANGELES
Rarely has a wild animal been cried so much. The death of the P-22 puma on December 17 has resulted in shocked tributes in California. “He lived an extraordinary life, noted the National Park Service (NPS), the federal agency responsible for national parks. He had captured the hearts of many people in Los Angeles and beyond. »
State Governor Gavin Newsom offered his condolences. “P-22 was an icon. Its incredible trajectory has inspired a new era of urban preservation,” he tweeted on his official account. California Representative Adam Schiff recalled that he had “the honor of carrying the voice” from cougar to Congress. “Thank you for gracing us with your presence, your antics and your magnificence for years, he greeted. You will never be forgotten. »
Nicknamed “Hollywood Cat”, the Hollywood feline, P-22 had entered the legend of a city that loves to build them. Born in the Santa Monica Mountains, north of Malibu, he had managed the feat of crossing two of the busiest highways in the world – the 405 and the 101 – to come and try his luck in 2012 at Griffith Park, in the foot of the iconic letters that symbolize the film industry. Over the years, the animal had become an object of study and adulation, the ambassador of wildlife in urban areas: P-22 or the superhero who conquered two highways. “He was Magic Johnson. He was James Dean, ignited actor French Stewart on Twitter. A feline version of Brad Pitt! »
In December 2013, the magazine National Geographic had published a photo that remained in the annals. Photographer Steve Winter had managed to capture the marauding silhouette of P-22 and the illuminated Hollywood sign in the same night shot. The star of mountain lions (pumas in English) was followed by 20,000 people on Facebook. When they passed through the heights of Hollywood, the Angelenos hoped to catch a glimpse of him. Every image of his lonely figure, captured by Ring surveillance cameras, was shared on social media. The city had dedicated an annual festival or P-22 Day to him, every October 22.
The most famous feline since the MGM studio lion
P-22 was also one of the subjects – the 22e in chronological order – of the study that the National Park Service has been conducting since 2002 on cougars and their habitat. His father was probably P-001, the first animal captured and fitted with an electronic collar in July 2002. A dominant male who was guilty of femicide and parricide, according to the researchers. More than one hundred cougars are now part of the NPS study. At the end of August, four new lion cubs were integrated: P-109, 110, 111 and 112. Four animals have been victims of car collisions since the beginning of 2022, including P-89, one of the few survivors of the crossing the 101.
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