A mountain lion with his own Facebook fan page that triggered a media storm by hiding in the crawl space under a house in Los Angeles, California, has left its urban refuge, wildlife officials said on Tuesday.
The animal, known as P-22, who usually lives in Griffith Park and was featured in a 2013 National Geographic photograph with the “Hollywood” sign in the background, was discovered underneath the house on Monday in the city’s affluent hillside Los Feliz neighborhood.
At about midnight, authorities asked onlookers to leave the area to allow the animal space in the hope it would leave.
An initial check of the property on Tuesday morning showed no sign of the predator, California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Janice Mackey said.
After a more thorough search, the department gave the official all-clear on Twitter.
“The cougar has left the building,” it said in a tweet.
The department later said the mountain lion, which has a tracking collar that allows it to be located, returned to its habitat in Griffith Park. The park covers more than 1,619 hectares, and is surrounded by residential areas and bordered on two sides by freeways.
The Los Angeles Times reported that workers installing a security system in the home had first come face-to-face with P-22 on Monday afternoon.
The cat became something of a celebrity in the area after it was discovered living in Griffith Park about three years ago.
Wildlife authorities named him P-22 and more than 1,400 people have since signed up to “like” the “Friends of P-22 Mountain Lion” Facebook page.
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