Mountain Lion Urban Corridor Welfare

Mountain lions navigating urban areas face vehicle strikes, habitat fragmentation, and territorial pressure that compromise welfare and long-term population viability.

Key Facts

P-22, the famous Hollywood Hills mountain lion, lived 12 years in an isolated 8 sq km territory
Mountain lions require home ranges of 150-1,000 sq km - urban fragmentation creates unviable islands
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over US-101 is the largest wildlife crossing in the world
Vehicle collisions are the leading cause of mountain lion death in California
Genetic diversity in fragmented urban populations declines measurably within 3-4 generations

Welfare Considerations

Mountain lions trapped in urban habitat islands experience territory stress from inability to disperse and find mates. P-22 showed evidence of mange, vehicle strike injury, and anticoagulant rodenticide exposure during his documented urban life. His welfare story galvanized the Annenberg Crossing project. Urban mountain lions that cannot navigate safely between patches face starvation from depleted prey, inbreeding depression from isolation, and constant vehicle strike risk.

What You Can Do

Support the National Wildlife Federation and CalTrans wildlife crossing programs
Avoid second-generation rodenticide use to protect mountain lions from secondary poisoning
Slow down at night in areas with wildlife crossing signs in mountain lion habitat
Donate to California Department of Fish and Wildlife mountain lion research