Los Angeles will honor P-22, the iconic mountain lion known for roaming Griffith Park, with a bronze sculpture by Adam Matano to be placed at the park’s visitor center. The memorial, supported by the National Wildlife Federation and funded by private donors, portrays P-22 amid Southern California flora and fauna. P-22’s dramatic freeway crossing helped drive support for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a major project to reconnect habitat and improve genetic diversity. P-22 was euthanized in December 2022 after health declined following an altercation and likely vehicle-related injuries.
Los Angeles Will Honor Beloved Mountain Lion P-22 With Bronze Sculpture in Griffith Park
P-22 in Los Angeles, California, in 2012.Photograph: National History Museum of LA/Griffith Park Connectivity/Reuters
The city of Los Angeles will memorialize its most famous mountain lion, known as P-22, with a bronze sculpture to be installed at the Griffith Park Visitor Center. The park — a 4,200-acre (1,700-hectare) urban refuge — was the animal's home when he captured the public's imagination.
The bronze piece was created by Los Angeles sculptor Adam Matano and was championed by the National Wildlife Federation through its Safe LA Cougars campaign. The project was financed entirely with private philanthropy.
The sculpture depicts a muscular P-22 stepping down from one podium, decorated with images of animals native to Southern California, onto a second perch that features reproductions of local flora. Matano said he sought to convey “the idea of the wild entering Los Angeles and awakening the city to the nature already within it,” presenting P-22 “as a kind of king not because he dominated territory but because he lived according to his nature and captured the heart of a city.”
Why P-22 Resonated
P-22 — a GPS-collared cougar identified by biologists with the designation P-22 — rose to national prominence after photographer Steve Winter captured an iconic image of him moving through Griffith Park with the Hollywood sign in the background. The cat developed a devoted following across Los Angeles, where his movements frequently made local headlines.
From One Perilous Crossing to a Major Conservation Project
Likely born in the Santa Monica Mountains, P-22 made a perilous journey across roughly 10 lanes of freeway to reach Griffith Park. That dramatic crossing helped galvanize support for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, an overpass designed to reconnect habitat and reduce road-related deaths. When completed, the crossing is expected to be the world’s largest wildlife overpass and to improve genetic diversity among cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains, where inbreeding has been a concern.
Final Years
Wildlife officials euthanized P-22 in December 2022 after he attacked a leashed dog and began showing signs of declining health. Authorities said his injuries and deterioration were likely tied to a vehicle strike; at the time they estimated his age at about 12 years.
Legacy: The memorial sculpture aims to celebrate P-22’s role in raising public awareness about urban wildlife and the need for safer habitat connections that allow animals to move and thrive.
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