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P-55 Becomes First Mountain Lion To Make Two Documented Trips Across 101 Freeway
Mountain lion P-55. (Photo courtesy of @SantaMonicaMtns)
As Alanis Morrissette said in her 2005 song "Wunderkind," some of us are destined to serve, while some are destined to roam. The latter certainly seems to apply to male mountain lion P-55, who crossed the 101 freeway last week for the second time in less than three months.
P-55 made his first venture across the 101 in August, reaching as far north as the Santa Susana Mountains. He crossed the same freeway once again sometime between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, according to the National Parks Service (NPS). "We've never seen a mountain lion cross the 101 freeway twice," NPS spokesperson Kate Kuykendall told LAist on Tuesday.
Well, that's a new one. P-55 has now crossed the 101 Fwy TWICE. He headed north a few months ago & last week headed back south. pic.twitter.com/LaAHWPlGYc
— Santa Monica Mtns (@SantaMonicaMtns) October 17, 2017
It's believe that P-55 crossed the freeway (for the second time) over a fairly developed section just west of SR 23 in Thousand Oaks—Kuykendall says the NPS has never seen another collared animal cross through that area before. Mountain lion P-12 made it across the 101 once in 2009.
According to Kuykendall, P-55 is currently roaming the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains and is likely trying to stay out of the way of larger, dominant male mountain lions, as he is classified as a "sub-adult." (Same.)