Dead mountain lion found on 405 near Getty Museum – Daily Bulletin

A mountain lion was found dead on the northbound 405 Freeway off Sepulveda Boulevard near the Getty Museum, California Highway Patrol officials confirmed.

Police received reports of a dead animal around 2:31 p.m. Thursday, July 4, and responded, a CHP officer said Thursday. They identified the animal and called the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The animal was fatally struck by a vehicle and found on the highway's center divider, according to reports.

Another mountain lion was found dead June 15 on Highway 101 near Agoura Hills, near the site of the future Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, currently under construction over the highway. The fully landscaped crossing is designed to connect the small mountain lion population in the Santa Monica Mountains with the larger, genetically diverse populations to the north.

Scientists have also floated the idea of ​​fencing along highways and roads, near rural habitats, to prevent wild animals from trying to cross busy highways.

A new study from the University of California, Davis, Center for Road Ecology, a program of the Institute for Transportation Studies, estimates that 613 mountain lions were killed after being hit by cars in California over an eight-year period, or about 70 big cats per year.

The number of mountain lions killed by vehicle collisions in California is increasing every year, said center director Fraser Shilling. He estimates that 5 percent of their population is lost to vehicle collisions alone.