CNN –
P-22, a mountain lion who spent years in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, has been euthanized after being injured in a “vehicular attack,” officials say.
The big cat made headlines last month after it attacked and killed a resident’s leashed chihuahua. He was captured by authorities on Monday, who used GPS data from his tracking collar to locate and anesthetize him.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife made the decision to euthanize P-22 after a “thorough medical evaluation,” according to a news release Saturday.
The department said the “compassionate euthanasia” was unanimously recommended by the San Diego Zoo Safari Park medical team and performed under general anesthesia.
P-22 received a “thorough evaluation” that “showed significant trauma to the mountain lion’s head, right eye and internal organs, confirming the suspicion of recent injury, such as a vehicle impact,” he said the department “Trauma to his internal organs would require invasive surgical repair.”
The 12-year-old mountain lion also had “significant pre-existing conditions, including irreversible kidney disease, chronic weight loss, widespread parasitic skin infection throughout the body, and localized arthritis,” according to the statement.
He was generally in poor health and “may also have had additional underlying conditions that have not yet been fully characterized by diagnoses,” the department said.
Officials will not seek information about the P-22 being hit by a vehicle, they added.
“This situation is not the fault of the P-22, or any driver who hit it,” the department wrote. “Rather, it is an eventuality that arises from habitat loss and fragmentation, and underscores the need for thoughtful construction of wildlife crossings and well-planned spaces that provide space for wildlife.”
P-22 became a celebrity in Los Angeles when he was photographed under the iconic Hollywood sign by a trap camera. The image was featured in the December 2013 issue of National Geographic.
The mountain lion even had its own Facebook and Instagram pages, where fans left heartfelt messages on Saturday.
P-22 also made headlines for breaking through a 9-foot fence at the Los Angeles Zoo and mauling a koala in 2016.
Officials across California issued statements marking the mountain lion’s death, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The P-22’s survival on a wild island in the heart of Los Angeles captivated people around the world and revitalized efforts to protect our diverse native species and ecosystems,” Newsom said in a press release.
Newsom’s father was a founder of the Mountain Lion Foundation and advocated for permanent protections for the species, according to the statement.
“The incredible journey of the iconic mountain lion helped inspire a new era of conservation and nature connection, including through the world’s largest wildlife overpass in Liberty Canyon,” added Newsom . “With coalitions and innovative strategies to restore vital habitat across the state, we will continue to work to protect California’s precious natural heritage for generations to come.”
Construction began earlier this year on a 10-lane wildlife crossing along the 101 Freeway, hoping to create a safer way for animals to roam the region. In addition, Newsom pledged $50 million for other similar projects across the state.
Beth Pratt, the California regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation, also remembered the mountain lion in an emotional press release. He said it is “hard to imagine that I will now be writing about P-22 in the past tense” and expressed hope that future California mountain lions will be able to roam safely.
“Thank you for the gift of meeting you, P-22. I will miss you forever,” Pratt said. “But I will never stop working to honor your legacy, and even though we failed you, we can at least partially atone by making the world safer for your species”.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated when authorities captured P-22. He was captured on Monday.