Beloved Mountain Lion P-22 Euthanized Following Medical Evaluation
“Several severe injuries and chronic health problems,” cited by state biologists
By Sam Catanzaro
Beloved mountain lion P-22 was euthanized this month due to “several severe injuries and chronic health problems.”
On December 8, CDFW announced their intent to capture the world-famous mountain lion and bring him in for a health evaluation.
CDFW and NPS found P-22 the morning of December 12 south of his long-time home range in Griffith Park, in the Los Feliz area. An anonymous report Sunday night indicated that he may have been struck by a vehicle.
According to Ed Pert of the CDFW, P-22’s behavior had changed recently, having taken to chasing and attacking dogs on leash. Last month, the NPS confirmed that P-22 killed a chihuahua on a leash in the Hollywood Hills.
“That is something that has never been seen in the years he has been tracked by the NPS,” Pert said during a press briefing last week.
After receiving a comprehensive medical evaluation, CDFW has received a clear picture of the P-22’s condition indicating the mountain lion was in poor health.
“He had several severe injuries and chronic
health problems,” the CDFW said in a press release.
Based on these factors, compassionate euthanasia under general anesthesia was unanimously recommended by a medical team at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. CDFW officials made the decision to do so on Saturday, December 17.
“P-22 has had an extraordinary life and captured the hearts of the people of Los Angeles and beyond. The most difficult, but compassionate choice was to respectfully minimize his suffering and stress by humanely ending his journey,” the CDFW said.
The CDFW said tests showed significant trauma to the mountain lion’s head, right eye and internal organs, confirming the suspicion of recent injury, likely a vehicle strike. The trauma to his internal organs would require invasive surgical repair, the CDFW noted. In addition, a examination also revealed significant pre-existing illnesses, including irreversible kidney disease, chronic weight loss, extensive parasitic skin infection over his entire body and localized arthritis.
“P-22’s advanced age, combined with chronic, debilitating, life-shortening conditions and the clear need for extensive long-term veterinary intervention left P-22 with no hope for a positive outcome. His poor condition indicated that he may also have had additional underlying conditions not yet fully characterized by diagnostics,” the CDFW said.
The CDFW has announced it is not seeking information on a vehicle collision, saying a
potential driver would not be at fault.
“This situation is not the fault of P-22, nor of a driver who may have hit him. Rather, it is an eventuality that arises from habitat loss and fragmentation, and it underscores the need for thoughtful construction of wildlife crossings and well-planned spaces that provide wild animals room to roam,” the agency said.
Following the euthanization, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area issued a statement paying tribute to P-22 which can be read below:
Statement on P-22 from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Mountain lion P-22 was more than just
a celebrity cat. He was also a critical part of a long-term research study and a valuable ambassador for the cause of connectivity and for wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains and beyond.
He was one of the oldest mountain lions in a study that the National Park Service has been conducting since 2002 and one of its most interesting. When he was captured and collared in March 2012 by National Park Service biologists, he was estimated to be about 2 years old.
Likely born in the Santa Monica Mountains
Rebecca Youssef raising environmentalism awareness through art
By Keemia Zhang
Los Angeles artist Rebecca Youssef is carrying out a project to raise awareness of environmentalism through an acorn-planting project.
Beginning in September, Youssef has gone into the Santa Monica Mountains and foraged for acorns. “There’s a little process about storing them,” she says, “soaking them in water, bagging them in the refrigerator and slowing the germination process down.” Youssef then returns to their original sites and replants them near their mother oak trees, where she predicts they will grow successfully.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Youssef attended university in Arizona before enrolling in graduate studies in California. Describing her home as “technicolored”, she states that the California landscape of “deserts and pastels” inspired her work.
She began incorporating her advocacy into her art during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the
onset of several social justice movements, and now regards it as an important hallmark of her work. “The environmental stuff that I do,” she says, “really can inform the art and the impact toward its response.”
In an effort to raise awareness on a community level, Youseff plans to give out saplings as gifts to customers who attend the “Art at the Airport” program on December 10th, as part of the 18th Street Annual Winter party located near her studio at the Santa Monica Airport.
Youssef previously did an art show examining the results of a USC study tracking tree loss in Los Angeles County. “A lot of people don’t realize the importance of trees – in Los Angeles, our urban tree canopy is disappearing.” Youseff continues, citing the ongoing drought and annual temperature increases as a result of global warming. “One of the ways to really make an impact is to plant more trees.”
To learn more about Youssef‘s art, visit https://www.rebeccayoussef.com
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Man in his 30s sought in connection to November 21 sexual assault
By Sam Catanzaro
By Staff Writer
The City of Malibu is raising significant wildfire concerns and continues its strong opposition to plans by Los Angeles County to allow camping in the Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone in Malibu, which is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
“It is disheartening that the County ignores Malibu’s wildfire concerns, especially now, as we face Red Flag fire conditions, a week after the anniversary of the Woolsey Fire that burned 96,949 acres and destroyed 1,600 homes, including 480 in Malibu,” said Mayor Paul Grisanti. “Camping in this area pose an unacceptable risk of wildfires that could threaten lives and homes.”
To address the wildfire threats, the City has
In the letter and in public comment at the November 15 meeting, the City asked for more time to work with the County on amendments to the LCP that would satisfy the Coastal Commission’s requirements for public access and recreation while also reflecting the realities of camping and wildfire risks.
The City also asked for more time to engage with the newly elected County Supervisor for the Third District on the subject. See the letter: https://www.malibucity.org/ DocumentCenter/View/30944/ CityLetterOpposition_ LACounty_Campgrounds_Sant aMonicaMountains_11-14-2022.
Despite the safety concerns the City has raised and its offers to work with the County to address them, the Board of Supervisors approved both items with a vote of 5 to 0.
Police are searching for a man wanted for sexually assaulting a woman hiking on a trail located in the Sepulveda Pass.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the incident occurred on November 21 around noon on a trail near the 17000 block of Mulholland Drive. The Department did not specify the trail’s name, but the address provided is that of the Upper Canyonback Trail.
“The suspect approached the victim from behind, forced her to a secluded area, and sexually assaulted her,” the LAPD said.
The victim describes the suspect as a White or Hispanic male, around 30 years old, with a two-inch scar on his right forearm.
“As a reminder, hike in pairs and tell someone where you are going. Carry a cell phone in case of an emergency and always be aware of your surroundings,” the LAPD noted in announcing
the incident.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Joseph Hampton, West Valley Detective Division at 36817@lapd.online or 818-374-7717. During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www. lacrimestoppers.org.
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“It is disheartening that the County ignores Malibu’s wildfire concerns,” former Maibu mayor says
Photo: California Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority Westridge Canyonback Wilderness Park.
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Santa Monica restaurant expands to Pacific Palisades
By Dolores Quintana
Prima Cantina’s new Pacific Palisades location is now officially open at 15246 W. Sunset Boulevard. Prima Cantina’s website states, “Prima Cantina is a reflection of the spirit and essence of Baja, California. Baja is a diverse region both in culture and geography,
which inspires our cooking. Our menu blends elements of the deep culinary heritage of mainland Mexico with the lighter, oceaninspired, unique coastal cooking of the Baja peninsula, fused with the natural, producedriven approach of California cuisine. Vibrant fresh herbs, smoky dried chilies, fresh Pacific seafood, bright salads, savory tacos, and a focus on grilled food express these regional inspirations and our distinctive take on tradition.”
You can find queso fundido, street corn esquites, shrimp ceviche, mushroom barbacoa and Chicken A La Parilla tacos, salads, bowls, and full entree meals.
as the son of adult male P-1, he somehow found his way to his tiny, nine-square-mile home in Griffith Park, separated from the Santa Monicas by the 101 and 405, two of the busiest freeways in the world. Defying expectations, he persisted for more than 10 years in the smallest home range that has ever been recorded for an adult male mountain lion.
Although he made frequent appearances on the streets of the Hollywood Hills and even, more recently, of the Silver Lake neighborhood, he was also clearly a wild cat, doing so mostly late at night, and subsisting largely on natural prey such as deer and coyotes.
In the end, he found his way into many Angelenos’ hearts and home surveillance camera footage.
Park biologists aim to understand and conserve the species that live in and around the park for generations to come. Although P-22 is now physically gone, scientists will be analyzing his data for years to come.
This animal’s life and safe passage to Griffith Park are a testament to both the challenges and the possibilities for wildlife in Los Angeles. He showed us what mountain lions must do to survive in our urban landscape, as he dispersed through it to find a remaining island of habitat.
He also showed us what they are capable of: surviving and co-existing with millions of people in a city as dense and sprawling as Los Angeles.
Goodbye, P-22. Your scientific legacy will live on.
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Photo: primacocina.com
Mountain Lion, from page 1
By Nick Antonicello
Los Angeles Councilmember Traci Park (DCD11) has announced a series of new hires to round out her legislative staff according to the campaign’s Facebook page.
Park, a Venice attorney defeated fellow Venetian and lawyer Erin Darling in the November General Election by a 52%-48% margin with nearly 100,000 votes cast, the largest turnout of any of the city’s fifteen council contests.
The first female council member to represent Venice since the days of former council member Cindy Miscikowski, Park replaced Mike Bonin, who dropped out of the race and retired last January after nearly a decade on this municipal body.
Park announced the appointment of the following eleven hires:
• Jeff Khah will serve as a Planning Deputy
and brings a long resume of government service to Park’s staff as an urban planner and public policy analyst.
• William Ayala will serve as a council aide and was formerly a staffer with Mitch O’Farrell, who was defeated for a third term last month by Hugo Soto-Martinez by a margin of 58%-42%. O’Farrell served eight days as Council President in lieu of the resignation of Nury Martinez and previously served as President Pro Tempore. O’Farrell was elected in 2013 and reelected in 2017. Originally from Oklahoma, O’Farrell was the first NativeAmerican to serve on the body.
• Gabriela Medina will serve as Park’s District Director. A graduate of UCLA, Medina served in the same capacity for former Councilmember Joe Buscaino, a close ally and supporter of Park. A retired police officer, Buscaino briefly made a bid for mayor and announced his run in Venice Beach at the height of the homeless crisis in the summer of 2021. Medina began her career as a volunteer for Buscaino’s initial bid for the LA City Council.
• Jamie Paige has joined Team Park as a Communications Deputy. A former member of the Venice Neighborhood Council, Paige is the founder and editor of the Westside Current,
formerly known as the Venice Current, a website that covers news, politics, government and other happenings on the Westside. TheWestside Current was an early supporter of the Park candidacy and strongly endorsed her primary and general election bids. The site was also a strong supporter of former LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who was defeated for reelection by new Sheriff Robert Luna, the retired police chief of the city of Long Beach.
• Joey Bailey returns as Homeless Outreach Liaison, the same position he held with Councilmember Mike Bonin and is one of two holdovers from the former councilmember’s staff.
• Clint Carlton will serve as Park’s Homelessness Director, one of the central themes of the Park campaign. Carlton brings a long resume of service in the area of homelessness in the not-for-profit space and will no doubt play a critical role in reforming LA’s current homelessness crisis in wake of Mayor Karen Bass’s announcement that a state of emergency now exists and the goal in year one is to house 15,000 of the some 50,000 people now living on the streets with nearly 2,000 here in Venice alone. The Venice Median project, the Flower Avenue situation at Lincoln as well as other encampments in and about the Venice neighborhood will certainly be at the top of Park’s agenda.
• Dave Cano joins Team Park as an Executive Assistant, a similar role he held with former Councilman Mitch O’Farrell.
• Carol Williams is a former Bonin staffer who is being retained as a Homeless Outreach Liaison and has decades of experience of working with individuals currently unhoused.
• Jacob Burman, who served as Campaign Director for the Park effort will come on board
as a Senior Advisor. A campaign professional, Burman served as Regional Director for GOTV for the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Party and is a graduate of George Washington University. A former member of the College Democrats, Burman previously served as a volunteer firefighter.
• Paris Parsamyan will serve as Park’s Chief of Staff. Another former staffer with Councilman O’Farrell, she served as his deputy legislative director. A former counselor with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Parsamyan earned her MS in Counseling at UCLA.
• Kevin Brunke will serve as Park’s Legislative Deputy. A former member of the staff of Mitch O’Farrell, Brunke is a graduate of Occidental College and served in a communications capacity with the former councilmember.
Nick Antonicello is a longtime Venetian who covered the race for LA City Council in CD-11 and filed the most stories of any media outlet. A member of the Outreach and Oceanfront Walk Committees of the Venice Neighborhood Council, he can be reached at nantoni@ mindspring.com
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for CD-11
Staffers
A diversified mix of former city officials, legislative aides and private sector influencers have now joined Team Park
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