‘Incredibly difficult’: Why officials euthanized ailing mountain lion P-22

Since capturing P-22 earlier this week, wildlife officers struggled with the perfect path for the movie star mountain lion who spent greater than a decade roaming Griffith Park and the hillsides of Los Angeles.

State officers in the end determined to euthanize P-22 at 9 a.m. Saturday morning resulting from critical well being points. Here’s what we all know in regards to the mountain lion and his deteriorating situation.

“This actually hurts and I do know that. It’s been an extremely tough a number of days,” mentioned Chuck Bonham, director of the California Division of Fish and Wildlife. “And for myself I’ve felt all the weight of town of Los Angeles.”

Well being points

The massive cat suffered a cranium fracture, herniated organs and a torn diaphragm, in keeping with Hendrik Nollens, vice chairman of wildlife well being on the San Diego Zoo, the place P-22 was euthanized.

The accidents have been largely doubtless brought on by a collision with a automobile final week, officers mentioned.

The massive cat additionally had kidney failure, superior liver illness, coronary heart illness and a parasitic an infection, officers mentioned.

P-22 weighed about 90 kilos, a lack of practically one-fourth of his typical physique weight. He additionally had a thinning coat and harm to his proper eye, presumably from the automobile collision. A neighborhood animal management division had obtained a name reporting a automobile collision with a mountain lion, and P-22’s radio collar positioned him close to the intersection the place the crash was reported, wildlife officers mentioned earlier this week.

Warning indicators

State wildlife officers determined earlier this month to seize P-22 after a sequence of regarding points.

He started to exhibit growing “indicators of misery,” together with three assaults on canine in a month and a number of other near-miss encounters with individuals strolling in Los Feliz and Silver Lake. The mountain lion killed a Chihuahua on its leash in November close to the Hollywood Reservoir.

“It was a troublesome determination — it was the best determination,” mentioned Beth Pratt, the California regional government director for the Nationwide Wildlife Federation. “This animal didn’t need to undergo.”

Outdated age

P-22 was regarded as about 12 years outdated, geriatric by wild mountain lion requirements. Some specialists mentioned that outdated age could have been a consider his deteriorating situation.

Veterinarian Winston Vickers from the UC Davis Wildlife Well being Heart mentioned final week that he has noticed modifications in mountain lions’ conduct as they age and develop aging-related points, together with tooth issues and difficulties in tackling their regular prey.

“I don’t know in the event you’ve ever seen any video of a mountain lion attacking a deer, however it’s a rigorous expertise for everybody, together with the mountain lion,” Vickers mentioned. “They’ve all of the aches and pains and arthritis and issues that we now have.”

What’s going to occur to P-22 now?

A pathologist from the San Diego Zoo and a mountain lion illness specialist physician from the California Division of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a autopsy examination, mentioned senior wildlife veterinarian Deana Clifford. After his loss of life, P-22 will contribute to a number of analysis research on genetics, copy and well being in mountain lions, she mentioned.

Then P-22’s physique will probably be despatched to the Pure Historical past Museum in Los Angeles County, the place he will probably be examined by Miguel Ordeñana, the scientist who first found P-22 in Griffith Park in 2012.

“I feel that’s a very becoming closure for a life well-lived,” Clifford mentioned.