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Tiffany Yap and J.P. Rose
It seemed improbable that an apex predator would reach stardom in a town inundated with celebrities. But P-22 wasn’t just known to conservationists: He was a household name.
When news broke in December that he was euthanized after exhibiting signs of distress, it was hard to stomach. Ever since P-22 was collared about a decade ago, we have showered him with love. But ultimately what this wide-ranging animal needed was some space.
On Saturday, fans of the famous puma — who turned all of Los Angeles into unapologetic cat people — will fill the Greek Theatre to mourn and honor the life of this celebrated cat.
It’s hard to say the dreaded E word — euthanasia. But it was the most humane option for an underweight cougar suffering from injuries likely caused by a vehicle collision and irreversible kidney disease. What we do next as we collectively mourn will determine whether we can avoid an even more dreadful E word — extinction.
When our organization petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to list Southern and Central Coast mountain lions as threatened under the state Endangered Species Act, we knew that more and more pumas, like P-22, would struggle and disappear if nothing is done. Freeways and urban sprawl have forced these amazing animals onto the last remaining patches of open space, leaving them prone to inbreeding.
In 2020, the commission granted local mountain lions temporary protections. It’s painfully clear that permanent protections are needed, and we’re hopeful they will come in 2023.
Southern California mountain lions are experiencing what’s known as an extinction vortex. Diminishing and fragmented habitat makes it impossible for mountain lions to roam and find unrelated mates, leading to dangerously low genetic diversity and increased vulnerability to disease.
When we factor in the pervasive use of rat poison, fast cars and wildfires that further diminish their turf, it’s clear that Southern California puma populations are ensnared in a downward spiral.
Thankfully the roadmap to pull them from the brink of extinction already exists. It’s in the captivating story of P-22.
The Hollywood puma crossed the seemingly impenetrable barriers of the 101 and 405 freeways to get to Griffith Park. During a decade isolated in this unusually small home, P-22 couldn’t find a mate and suffered from rat poisoning and mange. In his final days, he was likely hit by a car, leaving him seriously injured.
Each of those milestones shows us how to do better. We’ve been building roads and development for far too long without much thought to wildlife movement.
To begin correcting those mistakes, the California Legislature this year passed the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act, which would require the state transportation agency to consider wildlife crossings when building or improving roads and highways.
Implementing this law and investing in more wildlife crossings are key to saving not just the beleaguered mountain lions but the desert tortoises, California tiger salamanders and San Joaquin kit foxes that help make California a biodiversity hotspot.
The Los Angeles City Council will soon consider a wildlife ordinance that would set commonsense development standards to help wildlife safely pass through the Hollywood Hills. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors passed a similar ordinance — a sign that P-22 has inspired community members and decisionmakers to fight the extinction crisis on a local level.
If we take these lessons of P-22 truly to heart, it will not only honor him, but show the world that a major metropolis can adapt to protect its natural heritage. The next time a celebrity mountain lion captures our imagination, we will be more capable of coexisting with our wild neighbors. For that, we’ll have P-22 to thank.
Tiffany Yap, D.Env/Ph.D., and J.P. Rose are the authors of the California Endangered Species Act petition to protect mountain lions. Yap is a senior scientist and Rose is a policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
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