MALIBU—A male bobcat that survived the Woodsey Fire in November 2018 was hit and killed by a car.
The bobcat, known as B-364, was struck by a vehicle in Calabasas about 30 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. He was among several bobcats and mountain lions monitored by researchers in the wilderness areas of greater Los Angeles.
B-364 was known to roam between the burned and unburned areas of Malibu Canyon after the Woodsey Fire, which destroyed 96,949 acres of land and killed 3 people. The Woolsey Fire burned his entire home range last year. The Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area tweeted the following on Monday, March 18:
“Last Friday, B-361, an adult male bobcat, was hit & killed by a car on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas. This male cat roamed between the burned and unburned areas of Malibu Canyon. His carcass will undergo a necropsy.”
Tracking began for B-361 on November 6, 2018 two days before the fire
Park wildlife scientists have recommended building a crossing bridge to assist mountain lions, bobcats and other species in crossing Route 101 safely. According to the National Park Service website, at least 18 mountain lions have been killed by cars in the Santa Monica Mountains study area since 2002.
A private fundraising initiative, Save LA Cougars, has raised around $7.5 million for The Wildlife Crossing Project including $1 million from the Annenberg Foundation, $250,000 from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, $100,000 from Boeing Co. and $175,000 from an 80-year-old couple in Kansas, National Wildlife Federation officials told the Los Angeles Times.
At present, funding has been able to have a project study and a environmental assessment, but has not reached its goal of $8.7 million for final design and engineering and $50-60 million for the construction. The anticipated date is currently 2022-2023.
