Councilmember Raman Introduces Motion To Create A Permanent Memorial To Beloved Mountain Lion P-22

For Immediate Release: March 21, 2023

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COUNCILMEMBER RAMAN INTRODUCES MOTION TO CREATE PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO BELOVED MOUNTAIN LION P-22

LOS ANGELES — Today, Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced a motion to lay the groundwork for the creation of a permanent memorial to the late mountain lion, P-22, in his long-time home of Griffith Park. Laid to rest in December after displaying severe health issues, P-22 was the internationally recognized face of the conservation campaign “#SaveLACougars,” and became a local celebrity in Los Angeles. Councilmember Raman’s motion instructs the Department of Recreation and Parks to create an ad hoc committee of the Griffith Park Advisory Board (GPAB), composed of City personnel and private stakeholders, to determine the location and design of a permanent memorial to P-22. 

“I had the great honor of representing the area where P-22 lived in Council District 4, where he achieved celebrity status after completing an Odyssey-like journey, crossing the 405 and the 101, and trekking over 20 miles to reach his new home of Griffith Park over a decade ago,” said Councilmember Raman. “It only makes sense that we pay tribute to his legacy with a permanent memorial on his home turf, where visitors can come pay their respects and learn more about his invaluable contributions to wildlife conservation. P-22 was important to so many Angelenos, and I’m looking forward to the results of a participatory, community-driven process to determine what that permanent memorial will look like.”

“You can’t over memorialize P22. He was such a beloved cat by people not just in Los Angeles but around the world, and it’s wonderful to see the desire to create lasting places where people can celebrate P-22’s life and their personal connections to him,” said Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation and leader of the #SaveLACougars campaign. “And course, nowhere is more appropriate than Griffith Park, his home for over a decade. Our gratitude to Councilmember Nithya Raman for ensuring we can honor P-22 with a lasting tribute in the place where he roamed for so long.”

In addition to the creation of an ad hoc committee of the Griffith Park Advisory Board, Councilmember Raman’s motion instructs the Department of Cultural Affairs, with the assistance of the Department of Recreation and Parks, Bureau of Engineering, and any other relevant departments, to report back within 120 days with a proposal for a memorial and/or donation-based memorial program dedicated to the memory of P-22 in the City of Los Angeles.

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