Dead mountain lion

Top line:

Why it is important: The crossing, a $90 million project, is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late 2025 or early 2026. Once completed, it will connect mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains with other populations to the north.

What’s next: According to Beth Pratt of the National Wildlife Federation, tests are being conducted on the cougar’s body so officials can learn more about the big cat.

Early this morning, a dead mountain lion was found on the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, less than a mile from the future site of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

California Highway Patrol officers were notified of the incident around 4:45 a.m. this morning. The cat was found dead on the side of the highway near the Liberty Canyon Road exit, just east of where the wildlife crossing will be located.

The crossing, a $90 million project, is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late 2025 or early 2026. Once completed, it will connect mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains with other populations to the north.

Beth Pratt, California executive director of the National Wildlife Federation, who has been leading fundraising efforts for the wildlife bridge in Agoura Hills, said she learned of the incident this morning.

“This one was particularly heartbreaking because you can see the crossing in the background – not finished yet,” Pratt said. “It’s just not coming fast enough for this cat who obviously wanted to cross right there.”

According to Pratt, the cougar’s body is currently in the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. After that, it will likely be turned over to the National Park Service, which is conducting a long-term study of cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains area.

Pratt expects to learn more about the mountain lion in the next few days after the tests are completed.

“We don’t know anything about this cat,” Pratt said, pointing out that the mountain lion is not wearing a collar, meaning it has never been captured by the park service before.

“If we get DNA (information), it tells us a lot about the origin of this cat,” Pratt said.

It is rare for mountain lions to attempt to cross highways. GPS data shows that most mountain lions that approach highways turn around without attempting to cross.

However, the big cats can and do take risks on occasion. The late local hero P-22 famously crossed two highways to roost in Griffith Park. And other highways have proven fatal for mountain lions, including an accident on Highway 405 that killed P-97 in 2022.

This crossing will allow for safe crossing of Highway 101 and solve one of the main problems facing local mountain lions: the lack of genetic diversity and connection to other populations to the north.