We are saddened to report that the seven-month-old kitten known as P-52 was recently struck and killed by a vehicle on the 118 Freeway. This young male recently lost his mother, P-39, when she was struck and killed on the same freeway a few miles away on December 3rd, 2016.
This is the 14th known case of a mountain lion killed on a freeway or road in our study area since 2002.
Our partners with the California Deptarment of Fish & Wildlife collected the animal's remains and will be conducting a necropsy in the next few weeks to determine whether the animal was otherwise healthy.
Although this is a very sad turn of events, we hope that our research can shed insight into the lives of these animals and will inspire future conservation efforts to help wildlife move through the region more safely.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
