A male mountain lion was found dead along the 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills earlier this week, officials said Wednesday.
P-89 had been struck by a vehicle around 2 a.m. Monday and was found dead along the shoulder of the highway between De Soto and Winnetka avenues, according to National Park Service.
“Tissue, hair, and whisker samples were collected from P-89 after he was killed Monday morning,” NPS officials said, adding that a necropsy will be conducted.
The mountain lion was 2 years old and was being tracked as part of the NPS’ study on cougars.
He was the fourth lion in the study to die on the road this year alone, and the 30th since the study began in 2002, NPS explained.
P-89 had dispersed from his mother, P-65, earlier this year.
He was one of three kittens born in the central Santa Monica Mountains during the “Summer of Kittens” in 2020, and one of 13 born to five mountain lions between May and August.
P-89 was first captured and marked on July 6, 2020, when he was about three weeks old, officials said.
His brother, P-90 is still alive and managed to successfully cross the 101 Freeway in Camarillo last month.
He left the Santa Monica Mountains and his CHP locations show that he has been wandering the Los Padres National Forest. The whereabouts of their sister, P-88, is unknown, officials said.
It is believed that P-89’s father is P-63.
P-89 was last captured with his sibling P-90 last October.
“Noting both of their mangy appearances at their captures, biologists treated them with Selamectin, a topical treatment for mange, fleas, and ticks,” officials explained.
He was killed just one day before the Santa Monica Mountain’s 20th anniversary of tracking mountain lions.
Last month, a mountain lion was struck by a vehicle in the Santa Monica Mountains near where her mother was also killed.
“Unless we address this serious problem of habitat fragmentation by building more wildlife crossings, we will continue to read heartbreaking headlines of mountain lion fatalities,” said Tiffany Yap, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The death of a young puma who just dispersed from his mother should encourage California leaders to act. When state senators consider the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act next month, I hope they see the gravity of the situation and pass the bill.”
In April, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to begin construction on the world’s largest wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway.
The bridge over the major highway is meant to provide mountain lions, coyotes, deer and other animals a safe route to the Santa Monica Mountains.