P-22, the First Puma Studied by the National Park Service

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

P-22's dad, P-1, was the dominant male cougar in the Santa Monica Mountains. He fathered litters of cubs with the female mountain lions who roamed his territory. It's possible that P-22 survived his father's wrath by making this unlikely journey to Griffith Park. Mountain lions may come off as ferocious in our imaginations, but they're actually pretty timid.

Wildlife and urban development don’t usually go well together. Roads in particular fracture the habitats of wide-ranging animals. It restricts their movements and makes it harder for them to find food or a mate. But biologists and urban planners have started working together –- crafting a plan to try to help pumas move more safely around the city. And in the process this one cat, dubbed P-22, has turned into something of a celebrity—the symbol of a movement to redesign our cities and make the built environment more friendly to animals.

Cougar Town