Two mountain lions were killed on busy Los Angeles-area roadways within two days of each other this month, and conservation advocates say the deaths showcase the need for wildlife crossings and better habitat connectivity in the region.
Both deaths occurred in relatively busy areas where multimillion-dollar homes intermix with the wildland-urban interface and along roadways heavily trafficked for their mountain views.
On May 16, a 6-month-old male kitten was struck and killed by a car on Las Virgenes Road between Mulholland Highway and Lost Hills Road, a stone’s throw away from the almost-complete Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which is expected to be the largest wildlife crossing in the world.
Just two days later, a young female mountain lion was struck and killed by a car east of the 405 freeway on Mulholland Drive, a winding and famous roadway named for LA’s water king and known for its overlook vistas. Not much is known about the feline, who was less than a year old, but genetic testing could provide more information about how she fits into the family tree of the Santa Monica Mountains’ threatened mountain lions.
The female cat was one of just a few examples documented east of the 405 in the Hollywood Hills area, according to the Save LA Cougars campaign. P-22, LA’s iconic mountain lion, famously crossed the 405 to reach Griffith Park, where he lived for 10 years until his death in 2022.
The campaign also noted that the deaths came just months before the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing’s Dec. 2 opening date, and that scientists this month also found a den with three mountain lion kittens in the nearby Santa Susana Mountains.
“It’s exciting to contemplate that these kittens, two females and a male, might be pioneers– the first cougars to use the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing to safely travel from the north into the Santa Monica Mountains,” the campaign wrote.