P-22 Looks Healthy in New Photos

Months after turning up looking sickly and suffering from mange, Griffith Park's resident mountain lion and unofficial mascot of sorts is looking much healthier.

In new photos released by park officials Thursday, the mountain lion also known as P-22 or Puma-22 appears healthy, strong, and happily feeding on the carcass of a mule deer in the park.

A remote camera set up on a fresh deer kill in Griffith Park captured more than 1,500 photos of P-22. (Credit: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area)

Park officials last encountered the mountain lion in March, when they captured him to replace the battery in his GPS collar. The lion was thin and afflicted with mange, a parasitic skin disease that causes crusting and skin lesions. Blood tests indicated that he'd been exposed to rat poisons that have been linked to the condition.

Park biologists treated him with topical medications and Vitamin K injections to offset the poisoning, and released him back into the park.