P22, the sad end of Hollywood’s most famous puma

Wild, elusive, lonely but also very lonely. The L.A. Cougar, P22 for scientists who had been studying its moves for at least ten years, it was suppressed on Saturday. The injuries sustained in an investment of which he fell victim in one of the many highways that surround the Californian megalopolis were too many and too important. Too many, and by now too devastating, the many diseases that he carried with him from many years of free wandering in one of the most man-made territories on the planet, that north of Los Angeles, a few kilometers from the famous Hollywood Studios, not too far from the Pacific but very dangerous due to the interweaving of roads, motorways, American highways with very crowded traffic. At just over two years old, after a journey of about 20 miles from the extreme west of the Santa Monica mountains where he was born, he had managed to climb over that intertwining of roads and some hidden cameras, at the time, had immortalized him in all his wild beauty as he entered the territory of the Griffin Parknine square miles north of the city, from which he would never be able to leave, fueling the legend of lonely puma who lived surrounded by highways a short distance from one of the most populous cities in the world, which he dominated from the top of its hills. It was at Griffin Park that he lived his solitary life and it was at Griffin Park that he was captured by a team of vets to give him first aid. But that wasn’t enough to save him.

The photo that made him famous, against the backdrop of the Hollywood hill

On its most iconic hill, the one made famous and immortal by the cubital writing Hollywood which can be seen from miles away, a trademark of the city of cinema, P22 had become the protagonist of an absolutely sensational photo signed by National Geographic. The puma advances, massive and powerful, with the writing in the background: more beautiful than any actor who has ever passed through Hollywood, more elegant than any movie star. Thanks to that photo Puma 22 has become an icon and a testimonial of a study project which, in 2025, will lead California to be equipped with crossing corridors which will finally allow its extraordinary wildlife to cross the extremely dangerous highways, following the long survival paths that nature imposes on them.

Protagonist of a famous mural, also a new image for trendy T-shirts

For him, who was already considered a Californian star to the point of being the protagonist of a famous mural created by the street artist Corie Mattie but also a soft toy for sale in shops, the mayor had announced the P22Day, the day of P22, which every year on October 22 celebrated the importance of wild animals on the American territory and in California in particular. The web then broadened the scope of the message: the «P-22 Never Forget” that Bill Wyatt, owner of a trendy t-shirt shop, immediately launched a new line of T-shirts that reflect the potential of his image well. As well as social media, which since Saturday, the day of his euthanasia, have been the scene of a continuous succession of messages and affectionate greetings, when not sad and desolate. Among them that of Beth Prattfrom the National Federation of Wildlife, one of the last people to look after him before his suppression. “I sat next to him, looking into his eyes for a few minutes – wrote Pratt – and I told him he was a good boy. I told him how much I loved him. How much the world loved him. And I told him I was so sorry I didn’t make the world a safer place for him.”

Dramatic health conditions and injuries from the car accident prompted his euthanasia

«Second stage renal failure, weight of 90 pounds!!! (normally weighs about 125), head and eye trauma, a hernia causing the chest cavity to fill up to the abdominal organs, an extensive case of demodex gatoi (a parasitic skin infection likely transmitted by pet cats), heart disease, and more again» Pratt recounted hers in the long greeting post health conditions which had appeared clear to him after reading a CAT scan to which the feline had been subjected. “They showed me a video of the P-22’s CAT scan. The most serious injuries were due to him inrun over last week by a car» he explained, underlining that the puma’s situation was so dramatic that it was impossible for him to imagine a serene old age in a sanctuary, much less the possibility that he would be set free. “Even though I desperately wished he could get back to natureor live out his days in a sanctuary, the decision to euthanize our beloved P-22 is the right one.”

A symbol for the cause of animal conservation: wildlife corridors in his name to prevent wild animals from dying on the roads

But P22, in addition to the beautiful images that portray him and which continue to bounce around in the media (even the Los Angeles Times dedicated the front page to him), leaves as a legacy the certainty that people’s sensitivity is growing even for wild animals. “I hope future pumas can walk without risking their lives on the highways and on the roads of California – concluded Beth Pratt. – In the name of P-22 we must build more crossings and connect the habitats where we live now. Thank you, for the gift of knowing you, P-22. I will miss you forever.”