Mountain lion makes itself at home in Griffith Park
Smack in the middle of Los Angeles, feasting on deer and roaming the chaparral-covered slopes, a mountain lion prowls Griffith Park.
Yes, there had been sporadic rumors over the years of the 140-pound beasts lurking in the shadows of populated hillsides near the park’s attractions, but wildlife biologists had discounted them because of the improbability of the animals crossing the freeways to get there.
For the first time, however, scientists now have photographic evidence of a lion inhabiting the park. His name is P-22. That’s P, as in puma.
“We never had any definitive proof of a mountain lion living in Griffith Park,” said Jeff Sikich, a National Park Service biologist. “We believe this is pretty significant, that it’s surrounded by such intense urbanization.”
-- Martha Groves, Los Angeles Times