P-104 killed in Malibu last week
By Sam Catanzaro
A young mountain lion was fatally struck by a vehicle on PCH last week.
According to the National Parks Service (NPS0, P-104, a subadult male mountain lion, was hit and killed by a vehicle going northbound on the 33100 block of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) at around 7 a.m. March 23.
NPS rangers noted he was the most recent mountain lion to be captured as part of a 20-year study that is tracking mountain lions in and around the Santa Monica Mountains to determine how they survive in a fragmented and urbanized environment.
Biologists say the young mountain lion, captured and fitted with a GPS radio collar just three weeks ago in the western portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, had crossed PCH several times in the last few days.
“Although it has occurred before, it is relatively rare that collared mountain lions have crossed PCH,” the NPS said. “P-104 is the 25th mountain lion, and 8th collared study cat, to be killed by a vehicle since the mountain lion study began in 2002. He is the first mountain lion that we’ve documented being hit and killed by a car on PCH.”
At the time of his capture on March 8, he weighed 103 pounds.
Currently, the NPS is tracking 13 mountain lions in the region.
