The cougar was known and loved by the public for repeatedly circling the famous “Hollywood” sign in Griffith Park.
Authorities had captured and investigated the cougar, nicknamed the “Hollywood Cat,” due to its recent behavior. Veterinarians found “significant injuries” to the head, right eye and internal organs. Authorities suspected he may have been hit by a car. The animal also suffered from kidney disease, a parasitic skin infection, arthritis and was malnourished.
Putting the P-22 to sleep was “the most difficult but compassionate decision” to minimize his suffering, officials said. “It really hurts,” bureau chief Chuck Bonham told USA Today. California Governor Gavin Newsom also paid tribute to the dead cat. “The persistence of P-22s on a deserted island in the heart of Los Angeles has intrigued people around the world,” he said.
The 14-square-mile Griffith Park, where the P-22 is believed to have lived for a decade, is surrounded by highways and human settlements. The cougar probably led a very lonely life there: years ago, the US park authority had declared the park too small for a second big cat. Therefore, P-22 is unlikely to “ever find love with a female cougar”.
(SDA)