Mountain lion found dead on Route 101, near partially constructed wildlife crossing

A mountain lion was found dead Saturday morning on Highway 101 in Agoura Hills, not far from a wildlife crossing being constructed to reduce cougar deaths.

The mountain lion's body was discovered around 5 a.m. in the right-most lane of the highway near Liberty Canyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officers moved the cougar to the shoulder of the highway and requested help from California Fish and Wildlife, which confirmed Saturday morning that it had recovered the mountain lion's body to collect DNA.

The cougar, which was not wearing a monitoring collar, was killed near the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a $30 million crossing that crosses the busy 10-lane highway, said Beth Pratt, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation. He was probably hit by a car; she said there was fresh blood on the highway. She added that not much else is known about the mountain lion, including its age or sex.

“Obviously we have a solution coming, but it didn’t come soon enough for this cat,” Pratt said. “This is just another stark reminder that we are in the right place [for the crossing].”

Construction of the wildlife crossing began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2026. It is considered the largest wildlife crossing in the world, Pratt said, in a much-needed area where mountain lions attempt to cross.

There are already signs that other animals are using the crossing, and by the end of the year, officials hope to begin adding dirt and plants to the crossing so that it blends in with the environment and creates a safe space for animals, Pratt said. .

In January, Uno, a mountain lion often seen patrolling the Orange County mountains, was killed after being struck by a vehicle near Santiago Canyon Road near the Limestone Canyon Wildlife Refuge. The cougar, identified as F312, was tagged by researchers in 2021 when she was approximately 2 years old.

In January 2023, mountain lion P-81 was killed on the Pacific Coast Highway, likely struck by a car, the National Park Service said. The remains of the 4-year-old male cougar were recovered on PCH near Las Posas Road in Ventura County.

In July 2022, mountain lion P-89, a 2-year-old male, was fatally struck by a car on Highway 101 in Woodland Hills. The death came about a month after a 5-year-old mountain lioness was killed by a car in the Santa Monica Mountains.