(Reuters) – A famed California mountain lion was celebrated at a sold-out occasion on the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, with 1000’s of followers honoring the large cat’s life and contribution to city wildlife.

The mountain lion, known as P-22 and considered about 12 years previous, turned a Los Angeles movie star after dwelling within the shadow of the Hollywood Hills for over a decade, traversing busy highways to take up residence in and round Griffith Park.

P-22, famously photographed prowling previous the landmark Hollywood signal, had develop into a preferred image of campaigns to save lots of California’s threatened inhabitants of mountain lions, also called cougars or pumas.

The animal was euthanized in December due to extreme well being issues following a suspected car strike.

“Round his loss of life, the worldwide outpouring of assist was immense. He was trending on Twitter. He was in Rolling Stone journal,” Nationwide Wildlife Federation California Govt Director Beth Pratt, a lifelong advocate for wildlife who had championed P-22 for a decade, instructed Reuters. 

“So we did this as a means for the group of L.A., but in addition the world, to have the ability to sort of grieve collectively.”

Among the many crowds who attended the celebration, many sporting P-22 memorabilia, Los Angeles resident Paul Aguayo recounted an encounter with P-22 close to Burbank in 2012.

“I used to be going up this path and I heard a little bit snap, a little bit motion. And I appeared round and we locked eyes for about two, 4 seconds. He circled and simply dashed down the canyon. I noticed his tail,” Aguayo instructed Reuters.

Mountain lions like P-22 are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, with freeway deaths taking an growing toll. Officers and advocates have known as for the development of extra wildlife crossings in city areas and well-planned areas for them to roam.

“Internationally, individuals now take a look at how one can coexist with their wild neighbors otherwise due to him,” stated Pratt.

“And wildlife crossings are nothing new. However he elevated the wildlife crossing calls into public discourse in a means that it hadn’t been earlier than. So not unhealthy for this cat who was simply roaming Griffith Park.”