The National Wildlife Federation is honoring the legacy of the late Los Angeles mountain lion P-22 with a statue at Griffith Park’s visitor center.
P-22 was euthanized in 2022 after being struck by a vehicle and showing signs of declining health, including behavioral changes, renewing discussion about challenges wildlife face in urban environments. According to The Guardian, biologists tracked P-22 using a GPS collar during his life, monitoring his movements through Los Angeles.
The mountain lion gained attention in 2012 after he was spotted near the Hollywood sign. NPR reported that his behaviors near the end of his life — including entering residential areas — raised concerns about the limited habitat available to wildlife in Los Angeles. P-22 had previously been treated for exposure to rat poison, according to NPR.
As L.A. continues to grow, some USC students have noticed wildlife around campus.
Kali Whitfield, a sophomore majoring in biological science, said she encountered wildlife during her first week on campus. Whitfield said she has noticed urbanization is a growing issue in her hometown of St. Louis, not just in Los Angeles.
“Even back at home, you just see more and more buildings being built and trees getting taken down,” she said.
Amani Onyekwere, a junior majoring in business, discussed the effects of having less undeveloped land.
“It’s really not good to be putting too many buildings around in habitat spaces. It’s also bad for humans, because we’re not getting the oxygen that we need from the plants. So I definitely feel like there should be dedicated spaces for urbanization,” she said.
According to an article published by Discover Wildlife Science, urbanization can threaten wildlife habitats. The sculpture will memorialize P-22 and his legacy as a symbol of urban wildlife coexistence. Beth Pratt, regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation’s California Regional Center, said habitat loss is a major threat to wildlife.
“As we keep expanding our human spaces, that is taking away homes for wildlife. But I think the good news is L.A. shows that we can coexist, and we can do both. We just have to be more thoughtful about our human infrastructure and to accommodate wildlife when we do build. It is possible,” she said.
“The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is the biggest example of that. Like we’re able to rewild the freeway, right? Nobody gives anything up. People can still drive, but yet wildlife are now going to have safe passage and genetic connection. It can be simple things like planting milkweed in your backyard will help with, you know, animals with butterflies, right, making it and planting native plants helps with pollinators. Storing your trash correctly will help animals focus on more natural sources of food and not our sources of food,” she said.
Onyekwere reiterated the possible consequences of failing to consider wildlife when developing urban areas.
“If we have too many buildings and less spaces for wildlife, and then you wonder why, when you wake up next to you, there’s a moose in your house, it’s because there’s no more land for the moose,” she said.
Edited by Zayane El Solh and Natalie Cerna