How old is P-22? Mountain lion captured in Hollywood Hills after killing dog

On Monday, December 12, a cougar named P-22 was captured by wildlife officials in Los Angeles after he killed a leashed dog. The mountain lion wears a GPS tracking collar since he’s a part of a study conducted by the National Park Service. According to the National Park Service's website, P-22 is an 11-year-old male cougar.

He is regularly monitored and recorded on security cameras as he strolls through residential areas near Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The Fish and Wildlife Department of California tracked the cougar down with the help of his GPS collar.

He was jabbed with tranquilizer darts in the backyard of a Loz Feliz resident, Sarah Picchi. The resident told the Los Angeles Times that Fish and Wildlife officers came to her house to let her know that she had a lion in her backyard.

Picchi told the newspaper:

“Of course, I knew it was P-22 because I’ve been following the story.”

The mountain lion was then brought to be examined at the Los Angeles Zoo by veterinarians. Medical staff at the zoo provided the big cat with emergency care, putting him through a preliminary assessment to determine if he needed treatment urgently. The cougar was then released and sent back to Fish and Wildlife.

The initial condition of the mountain lion after being tranquilized was described as stable. However, officials came across an anonymous report on Saturday night that implied P-22 might have been hit by a car recently.

As jointly announced by California's Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service, the cougar will be examined, after which the authorities will determine what the next best steps are for him. The safety of the surrounding communities will also be prioritized.

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P-22 is one of the oldest cougars in Los Angeles

The 11-year-old puma is the oldest Southern California mountain lion that is currently being studied. Usually, most mountain lions have a life span of a decade.

Cougars usually prey on coyotes and deer. But the National Park Service confirmed in November that the big cat attacked and killed a leashed dog that was being walked along the streets of Hollywood Hills. The dog was a Chihuahua mix.

Officials suspect that P-22 might have attacked another Chihuahua in November as well in the Silver Lake Neighborhood. The dog owner said they had to fight off the mountain lion when he attacked the dog and left it with several deep cuts throughout its body.

Wildlife officials deemed this incident unusual for the mountain cougar since he has co-existed with humans and pets for more than ten years, and that too in an area that is considered the most urban and smallest range for any mountain lion’s habitation. In a statement released on December 8, the officials said:

“P-22 is a remarkably old cat in the wild and, after being deemed responsible for killing a leashed pet last month, may be exhibiting signs of distress.”

In response to the cougar attack on the dogs, the state wildlife department issued the following statement last week:

“This is an unprecedented situation in which a mountain lion has continued to survive in such an urban setting. As P-22 has aged, however, the challenges associated with living on an island of habitat seem to be increasing and scientists are noting a recent change in his behavior.”

P-22 was chosen as the face of a campaign that aimed to build wildlife habitat for big cats, deer, coyotes, and other wildlife across the LA-area freeway. The goal is to create a safe path for the animals to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains.