Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Mountain Lion P-41 Found Dead In Verdugo Mountains

A large cat perches on a rock
The mountain lion known as P-41.
(
via Facebook
)

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

A mountain lion christened "P-41" by National Parks Service biologists was found dead on Wednesday on the edge of the Verdugo Mountains.

P-41, who was approximately 10 years old at the time of his death, had been tracked since 2015 by NPS biologists curious to see whether he would cross the 210 Freeway in a journey from the Verdugos to the southern San Gabriel Mountains. Like P-45, the "King of Malibu" who recently earned himself a New Yorker profile, P-41 was something of a local celebrity; a Facebook page dedicated to "P-41, Mountain Lion of the Verdugo Mountains" quickly gained over 400 followers.

P-41's cause of death is unclear, although the National Park Service said in a statement Thursday that the recent La Tuna fire, which burned more than 7,000 acres in the Verdugos, may have been a contributing factor.

"We've seen other cases of mountain lions surviving wildfires, and coming away with burned paws that make it difficult for them to hunt and survive," NPS spokesperson Kate Kuykendall told LAist on Thursday, adding that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be conducting a necropsy to determine P-41's precise cause of death.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist