Famous P-22 mountain lion buried in secret location in California

Tribal leaders, scientists and conservationists buried Southern California’s most famous mountain lion on Saturday in the mountains where the big cat once roamed.

Settling in the city’s Griffith Park, home to the Hollywood sign, over the past decade, the P-22 has become a symbol of California’s endangered mountain lions and their declining genetic diversity. The mountain lion’s name comes from the fact that it was ranked 22nd in a study by the National Park Service.

The death of a cougar late last year sparked a debate among tribes in the Los Angeles area and wildlife officials about whether scientists can save specimens of mountain lion remains for future testing and research.

Some Chumash, Tataviam, and Gabrielino (Tongva) peoples argued that the autopsy samples should be buried with the rest of his body in the ancestral lands where he spent his life. Some tribal elders said that it would be disrespectful to keep the specimens for scientific research. Mountain lions are considered related and are considered teachers in Los Angeles tribal communities.

Tribal representatives, wildlife officials and others discussed a possible compromise in recent weeks, but no consensus was reached before the P-22 was buried in unspecified location in the Santa Monica Mountains on Saturday.

“While we have done our best to keep the carcass intact, tribes and agencies are still working on the conclusion of some of the specimens,” the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement Monday. “It is important to understand that all the tribes and agencies agreed to move forward with the funeral and it was a moving ceremony. We have come to a better understanding and we look forward to further growth from this place.”

It is not yet clear if the unspecified specimens could also be buried with the animal in the future, or if the tribes have agreed to allow scientists to keep some of the specimens for further testing.

According to Alan Salazar, a member of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band missionary Indians and a Chumash descendant, the Shabbat traditional tribal burial included songs, prayers and sage smoke cleansing.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, where the cougar’s remains were stored in a freezer before burial, called the burial a “historically significant ceremony.”

“The death of the P-22 affected us all and he will forever remain a revered icon and ambassador for wildlife conservation.” This is stated in the statement of the museum on Monday.

Salazar, who attended the ceremony, said he believes the legacy of the P-22 will help wildlife and scientists recognize the importance of respect for animals in the future.

Beth Pratt, Executive Director of the California National Wildlife Federation, who also attended the ceremony, wrote on Facebook that the burial “helped me achieve some peace” as she mourned the animal’s death.

“I can also imagine the P-22 at rest now, with such a powerful and caring send-off to the next location,” she wrote. “When we put him to rest, a red-tailed hawk flew overhead and called loudly, perhaps to help him on his journey.”

Los Angeles and Mumbai are the only major cities in the world where big cats have been regularly present for years – mountain lions in one, leopards in another – although cougars began to roam the streets of Santiago, Chile, during the pandemic.

Wildlife officials believe that P-22 was born about 12 years ago in the western Santa Monica Mountains but left due to his father’s aggression and his own struggle to find a mate in a declining population. This caused the cougar to cross two busy freeways and migrate east to Griffith Park, where a biologist captured it on camera in 2012.

His freeway journey inspired a freeway wildlife crossing in the Los Angeles area, allowing big cats and other animals to move safely between the mountains and wildlands to the north. The bridge was laid in April.

The P-22 was caught last December in the backyard of an apartment building after being attacked by dogs. Examinations revealed a skull fracture – the result of a car accident – and chronic diseases, including a skin infection, kidney and liver disease. Five days later, the big cat beloved by the townspeople was euthanized.

Los Angeles celebrated his life last month at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park in a star-studded memorial that featured musical performances, tribal blessings, speeches about the importance of P-22 life and wildlife conservation, and a video message from Gov. Gavin Newsom. .

Salazar said a boulder from Griffith Park was brought to the grave in the Santa Monica Mountains and placed next to the P-22’s grave in honor of the place where the animal settled in the urban area.

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