Los Angeles

Mountain Lion Killed Trying to Cross SoCal Freeway

P-32 is the 12th cougar found dead on LA-area roads since a study began in 2002.

A young mountain lion that crossed roads and freeways to reach a new home north of Los Angeles died after being struck by a car, officials said.

The National Park Service said the cougar, known to researchers as P-32, died Monday morning on the southbound 5 Freeway near Castaic. He was less than 2 years old.

A "textbook case of successful dispersal" from the Santa Monica Mountains into Los Padres National Forest took an unfortunate turn when he headed east and tried to cross one more freeway, according to the NPS.

Before being struck, P-32 crossed the 101 Freeway State Route 23, Highway 118 and Highway 126 since his journey began in April.

"This case illustrates the challenges that mountain lions in this region face, particularly males," said Dr. Seth Riley, a wildlife ecologist with Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. "P-32 conquered all kinds of freeways and highways to reach the Los Padres, but it was probably another dominant male that made him leave the area and attempt one last crossing, which obviously was not successful."

He is the only male known to have dispersed out of the Santa Monica Mountains and into the more contiguous habitat areas to the north in the National Park Service's 13-year mountain lion study.

"Almost all of the young male mountain lions we’ve studied die prematurely, either from a vehicle collision or after a fight with a dominant adult male," Riley said in April.

P-32, who was captured in a series of photographs with his mother and siblings, dispersed north after crossing the far western end of the Santa Monica Mountains. He then voyaged across State Route 23 into the central natural area of Simi Hills.

P-32's sister P-33 crossed a similar path in April but went back near her original crossing area.

Male mountain lions require lots of land, and the Santa Monica Mountains are ringed by urban barriers. P-32 is the 12th cougar found dead on LA-area roads since an NPS study began in 2002.

One lion who made it, P-22, lives in Griffith Park in the middle of LA. DNA evidence shows P-22 was born in the Santa Monica Mountains and had to cross the 405 and 101 freeways to make it to Griffith Park.

P-22's journey is not considered by the NPS as a "successful dispersal" because he is now isolated in a small patch of habitat with no opportunities for reproduction.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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