A mountain lion that was part of a federal study died of injuries likely caused by a vehicle, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said Wednesday. The male lion, dubbed P-78, was the 23rd victim of road mortality in the study area since 2002, according to the National Park Service. AdvertisementTraffic and poisons are major hazards for mountain lions living in wilderness fragmented by freeways and urban sprawl. P-78 was a subadult in 2019 when he was first captured in the central Santa Monica Mountains. He was living in the Santa Susana Mountains, where biologists recaptured him in November to replace the collar.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 31, 2021 22:45 UTC