First tracked mountain lion crosses Los Angeles freeway

Officials say for the first time during a 17-year study of mountain lions, one of the big cats has been documented crossing Interstate 405 in Los Angeles.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES - Officials say for the first time during a 17-year study of mountain lions, one of the big cats has been documented crossing Interstate 405 in Los Angeles.

The National Park Service said Thursday that P-61 navigated the massive freeway between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on July 19 in Sepulveda Pass.

The NPS called it a rare feat.

In the same area where P-61 crossed, a mountain lion dubbed P-18 was hit and killed by a vehicle in 2011. A lion not tracked by scientists was killed along the stretch in 2009.

The most famous big cat to cross the 405 is P-22, a lion that lives in Griffith Park. P-22 was not collared at the time, so little is known about his journey.

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