MALIBU—The mountain lion, P-41, known as the “Celebrity Puma” of the Santa Monica mountains, was found dead in his natural habitat of wildlife and vegetated canyons. Traced with an electronic GPS gear fastened around his neck. Officials lost track of P-41, who was later found lying unconscious by residents of the Verdugo Mountains.
Biologists are concerned by P-41’s unexplained death because they expect mountain lions to be extinct within the next 50 years in the Los Angeles region because a lack of space to survive in its habitat.
Mountain lions currently reside in the Santa Monica Mountains, which is the rampant land enclosed by the 101 and 405 freeways traveling north, and wrapping all the way around to Pacific Coast Highway.
P-41 was a male puma that was 10 years old and believed to have fathered 2 kittens. Though experts believe that the La Tuna fires, which burned 7,000 acres of wildlife, were responsible for the lion’s death, it is suspected that his death could have been due to his fear of crossing the freeways.
P-41 had been tracked since 2015 by biologists who were curious to see if he would cross the 210 freeway in a journey from the Verdugos to the San Gabriel Mountains.
Unlike the P-45 puma, who has been christened “The King of Malibu,” and is believed to be a dangerous and vicious cat, P-41 was an “exhibitionist cat” that appeared photogenic.
