Mountain Lion Killed On 101 Freeway, 4th Puma Roadway Death In 2022

WOODLAND HILLS, CA — A mountain lion was found dead Monday on the Ventura (101) Freeway in Woodland Hills, according to the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area.

The lion, P-89, was a 2-year-old male tagged as part of the Santa Monica Mountains puma tracking project. P-89 was fatally hit around 2 a.m. Monday on the shoulder of the freeway between DeSoto Avenue and Winnetka Avenue.

P-89 is the fourth tagged mountain lion to be killed in a roadway in 2022 alone. In late June, P-54 was struck and killed by a vehicle on Las Virgenes Road between Piuma Road and Mulholland Highway. Just two months before, the lion's offspring was killed on the San Diego (405) Freeway near the Getty Center.

In March, a tagged male mountain lion was killed on State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway).

P-89 was captured on July 6, 2020 alongside another male kitten and a female kitten, all mothered by another tagged mountain lion, P-65. The lion moved away from its mother earlier in 2022, according to the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area.

The most recent incident underscores the need for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which will help mountain lions and other wildlife safely cross the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. The crossing is expected to be completed in 2025.