Former New York Resident Encounters Hollywood's Famed Mountain Lion P-22
Kevin Prince thought he had just spotted a stray dog outside his new Los Angeles home, until the animal turned, moved like a big cat, and made the whole scene feel a lot less ordinary.
That first weekend in L.A. turned into a crash course in local wildlife when Kevin realized the visitor on his patio was P-22, Griffith Park's famous mountain lion. After checking online and calling park services, he learned the neighborhood was part of the animal's territory, and he soon started setting up motion cameras to catch another glimpse.
Now Kevin has seen P-22 several times, and the sightings have turned his home into an unexpected wildlife watch. Read on.
Kevin has dubbed P-22 as the Brad Pitt of Mountain Lions
Kevin has made an Instagram account documenting the animals that pass through his L.A. home
Here is P-22 seemingly curious about the garden hose strewn across the patio of Kevin's home
The National Park Service did confirm that the mountain lion Kevin saw was indeed P-22
The P in P-22's name stands for puma. Before he became Griffith Park's resident celebrity cougar, P-22 was first sighted in 2012 by wildlife biologist Miguel Ordeñana.
The cougar was already two years old when he was first seen on camera. Through genetic testing, biologists discovered that P-22 was actually born in the Santa Monica Mountains.
This means P-22 crossed two busy freeways to get to Griffith Park!
Speaking of scary surprises, Bray’s solo hike turned into an up-close encounter with a massive puma.
Mountain lions have to leave when they are a year old to find their own territory
P-22 chose to cross two major freeways to find his new territory. Cougars like P-22 typically need a large area for themselves, but since his journey brought him to Griffith Park, the lion is confined to an area of just 8 square miles.
His solitary habitat means P-22 has free reign with the other wildlife, but this also means he is unlikely to find a mate
The National Park Service reassures that mountain lions generally do not interact with humans and pose no significant threat. Their prey consists of smaller creatures such as deer and sometimes other mountain lions who cross their territories.
P-22 is a stealthy big cat and hasn't reportedly harmed any humans. It is still best to stay vigilant and keep a safe distance from him.
Still, the Brad Pitt of Mountain Lions remains a Griffith Park celebrity because, according to Kevin, "He is handsome AF!"
P-22 has his own Instagram account that has a considerable following
You can watch P-22's fourth visit to Kevin's home below:
P-22 looks comfortable in expensive real estate, doesn't he?
You can see the other residents' excitement when they saw P-22 in this news report below:
Some residents, like Kevin, were initially baffled by P-22's presence in their area. Some actually thought they were hallucinating when they saw the lion's face pressed up against their window in the middle of the night!
Now, P-22 has captured everyone's curiosity and interest. Consider yourself lucky if P-22 chooses to show himself to you because these pumas are usually elusive, and we cannot all be as fortunate as Kevin, who saw P-22 four times! Welcome to L.A.!
He stayed safely inside while a group of mountain lions lounged on his porch, check it out.
Share this article:
