Griffith Park’s resident mountain lion, which turned up months ago looking sickly and suffering from mange, appears to be healthy once again, it was reported today.
In new photos released by park officials Thursday, the mountain lion also known as P-22 or Puma-22 appears healthy, strong, and happily feeding on the carcass of a mule deer in the park, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The mountain lion is believed to have come from the Santa Monica Mountains, which would mean he crossed both the 405 and the 101 freeways to get to Griffith Park, according to The Times.
Park officials last encountered the mountain lion in March, when they captured him to replace the battery in his GPS collar. The lion was thin and afflicted with mange, a parasitic skin disease that causes crusting and skin lesions. Blood tests indicated he’d been exposed to rat poisons that have been linked to the condition, The Times reported.
Park biologists treated him with topical medications and Vitamin K injections to offset the poisoning and released him back into the park.
The photos released Thursday were taken by remote cameras set up at the site of one of P-22’s fresh deer kills. The animal’s coat looks shiny and no sign of mange is apparent.
“… This is the best indication we’ve had that P-22 appears to have recovered,” Jeff Sikich, a biologist for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, said in a statement quoted by The Times.
