The problem, experts say, is that there is nowhere else for him to go. Male mountain lions fight to the death to protect their territory, and there is no suitable habitat left unclaimed in California. “It’s not like there is some mountain lion Shangri-La with no adult male lion,” said Seth Riley, a wildlife ecologist with the National Park Service, which has been tracking P-22 with a GPS collar since 2012. “Moving animals around generally results in their death.”
There are benefits to having an apex predator in Griffith Park, said David Ryu, the city councilman whose district includes the park. They eat coyotes, which are much more likely than a mountain lion to eat a pet dog.
“If we get rid of him, what next?” Mr. Ryu said. “Do we get rid of all the coyotes? They prey on raccoons. Then do we get rid of the raccoons? Where do you draw the line?”
