'Long Live P-22': Thousands Memorialize Beloved LA Mountain Lion

LOS ANGELES, CA — When Jeff Sikich started working on the National Park Service's Santa Monica Mountains puma study, he never could have expected the epic cat-and-mouse game he would play with LA's most famous puma P-22 — or rather, “trapper-and-cat" game, he said.

"We played this back-and-forth dance... as I tracked his behaviors, monitored his movements and walked in his footsteps," Sikich said. "My adventures with P-22 paralleled scenes from many LA-based movies — from sneaking under the Hollywood sign at night, with permits, to being chased by the cops [and] exploring LA mansions under pursuit from helicopters and news crews. And he even got me to the Greek."

Sikich joined a tearful and animated crowd at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon. Thousands of locals gathered to celebrate the life of P-22, Los Angeles’ famed mountain lion, a ceremony that was livestreamed online.

Speakers included P-22’s researchers, photographers, young fans and famous friends, who shared stories of the mischievous and determined puma. P-22, who was euthanized for a number of health issues in December, was the only mountain lion known to successfully cross both the San Diego (405) Freeway and the Hollywood (101) Freeway. He lived most of his adult life in Griffith Park, the smallest area ever known to house an adult male puma. In the process, he became a national symbol for urban wildlife safety.

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P-22 was one of many mountains tagged and studied by the National Park Service. He was initially captured in March 2012, and rose to fame in frequent viral surveillance camera footage videos and magazine and newspaper covers.

His existence has fueled ongoing local efforts to protect local wildlife, like the #saveLAcougars campaign spearheaded by Beth Pratt, a longstanding P-22 advocate and the National Wildlife Federation's California Regional Executive Director.

“P-22 is way more than a celebrity. He is an important ambassador for urban wildlife, and his science contributions are many,” Sikich said. "All of the lions we research in the region, but especially P-22, have taught us how lions coexist with us in this complex landscape. P-22's legacy will live on in his contributions to wildlife conservation and also our heightened awareness of how to live in harmony with nature.

Between silly songs about P-22 and tearful tributes from students and indigenous leaders, many speakers Saturday celebrated the recent groundbreaking of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a massive bridge under construction to aid mountain lion's safe passage across the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. The $100 million undertaking is designed to connect the region's isolated mountain lion population to genetically diverse populations and protect mountain lions from traffic — a leading cause of their deaths.

"People roll their eyes a little bit... [and] they [say] it's so LA that a memorial for a mountain lion sold out. And you know what I [think?] Yeah it's so LA! Only in LA, only in LA would a beautiful wild animal like P-22 come and live in this municipal park and residents would demand and clamor that he be allowed to stay here. And stay he did for over a decade," said Nithya Raman, Los Angeles City Council member. "Only in LA would our love for P-22 spur a movement to protect these big cats."

Many speakers said they hoped P-22's legacy would inspire locals to think more carefully about how they coexist with wildlife. Many speakers mentioned the dangerous use of rodenticides and the fact that P-22's traffic death is representative of humans' negative effect on their environment.

Remembering P-22

Saturday's audience came covered in homages to P-22, like various tribute t-shirts, pins, stuffed animals, felt cat ears and clip-on tails. The crowd laughed and cried with speakers, recounting P-22's biggest successes and mischievous moments — like when he munched on a koala "instead of popcorn" as a snack at the Los Angeles Zoo.

"Still in awe of his resilience and agility as he beat the odds time and time again," said Tina Calderon, a Tongva, Chumash and Yoeme poet who recited a poem and sang at Saturday's event. "Our hearts ache, and yet we smile as we remember the news reports of [P-22] showing up across mountain ranges — fearless, resourceful. Smart, strong and handsome, your memory is etched on my and our hearts. Until we meet again."

Photographer Steve Winter told the story of capturing the famous photo of P-22 standing in front of the Hollywood sign. He had dreamed of capturing such a photo long before researchers could imagine a puma living in Griffith Park. Months after he pitched the image, he was delighted to get the call that P-22 had made the unlikely trek, he said.

Actor Rainn Wilson, who has previously supported P-22's cause, was the second celebrity to perform a song he wrote for P-22, ultimately inspiring the entire audience to sing along with him.

"P-22, P-22, you left behind a lot of friends and cougar poo," the crowd sang out. "P-22, oh P-22, all of Los Angeles is gonna miss you."

The crowd found themselves singing again when The Tokens took the stage to aptly sing their hit "A Lion Sleeps Tonight," honoring the lion who many speakers lovingly called Los Angeles's "king."

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Clad in an “I Love P-22” shirt she got at P-22 day two years ago, Los Angeles area resident Cloudia Wintermute shed a couple of tears waiting in line for a new piece of P-22 merch outside the venue. She was hoping she wouldn’t “cry her head off” in the celebration of life.

“What a beautiful soul he is,” she said. She had tracked his life and always wanted to see him find a girlfriend. “P-22 did so much for mountain lions.”

Wintermute hoped Saturday’s memorial will be a reminder for people to slow down when they drive and remember to respect local wildlife. She said that if she ever encountered a mountain lion, she would tell it she loved it.

Two days after P-22 was euthanized, National Parks Service researcher Seth Riley was shopping at Trader Joe's in his bright blue P-22 Christmas sweater. He asked an employee for help finding pancetta, and as the employee walked away, he said something that caught Riley off guard.

"Long live P-22."