P-64, a male mountain lion who was famous for crossing the incredibly dangerous (to mountain lions) 101 and 118 freeways more than 41 times in nine months (at least 43+ times in all, according to National Park Service authorities), was found dead a few days ago.

His paws were burned (not in itself lethal). The exact cause of his death is being determined now.

The diminishing mountain lion population, in southern California especially, may soon be doomed by in-breeding (a new cub being the offspring of not only his father, for example, but also his own grandfather, as well as his own great-grandfather too).

P-64 had successfully figured out how to cross the freeways (which is extremely difficult for mountain lions), which meant that his fathering of more cubs, in more distant areas, was immensely important to the future of the species throughout the southern California mountain ranges.

He was a REALLY intelligent mountain lion, and we are all the worse for his loss.

https://laist.com/2018/12/07/mountain_lion_p-64_found_dead.php



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/2018 07:55PM by Tevai.

That's so sad. He was a pretty tough animal and still didn't make it.

If his paws were burnt, a sign he was overcome by the heat and smoke.

Sad.

How did that fire start?

nonmo_1 Wrote:
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> How did that fire start?


Still unknown as to the "how."

The "where" is known: the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (locals still call it Rocketdyne).

When I was growing up, most every evening (around the time when my sister and I were washing the dinner dishes) there would be amazingly dramatic tests of rocket engines at Rocketdyne (an aerospace corporation which was important in that "make it to the Moon" period of American history).

We were [our house was] on a hilltop at the southwestern edge of the San Fernando Valley, and the tests were conducted on the mountaintop(s) at the northwestern edge of the Valley, so we could look over the San Fernando Valley floor, with us at a similar height to the testing facility, and clearly see the literal "fireworks" of the rocket engines, which were accompanied by audial booms which echoed across the Valley, as Rocketdyne segued into that night's series of tests. It was amazingly dramatic, and most everyone in the western Valley stopped momentarily, and paid attention, when the evening tests began.

Here is a photo of where the tests were conducted:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Susana_Field_Laboratory

This is where the Woolsey Fire began.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2018 03:44PM by Tevai.

interesting. The link says the site is now an environmental site and is being cleaned up. Maybe acids and solvents were mixed when these shouldn't have been.

They seem to have the cause of the Paradise fire (Utility company PGE) but no mention of the old RocketDyne site as the cause of this fire..



hmm...........

Aren't there a few animal crossing tunnels built under the 118?

stillanon Wrote:
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> Aren't there a few animal crossing tunnels built
> under the 118?


My impression is that the flood control "tunnels" are/were intended to do double-duty as animal crossings too.

The problem is that animals have to be courageous enough to work out that going into the complete darkness of a usually claustrophobic concrete "tunnel" will eventually lead to a better place on the opposite side.

As with people, some animals are more intelligent than others, so although the underground passageways work sometimes, this isn't optimum.

The wildlife bridges, to be built OVER the freeways (constructed with local soil on top, plus local trees and local greenery--so they don't look or feel like the concrete bridge they are), are a much better solution for conducting mountain lions towards more distant places, so they can (hopefully) procreate with mountain lions who are not such close blood relatives. I don't know anyone who is not in favor of constructing wildlife bridges over the 101, 118, and the mountain-pass parts of the 405 (I have heard that some are planned for Orange County, too).



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2018 03:52PM by Tevai.

I suspect cat people outnumber dog people in RfM. Mormonism is definitely a dog person religion.

I disagree. I have 5 immediate mormon neighbors. 3 have cats and 2 have no pets. Cats don't require much. Dogs need love and affection, exercise and play. Fun and personal contact. Cats are pretty impersonal and standoffish. Just like mormons.

Having grown up on a farm in the Morridor, the Mormons around us preferred canines to cats. And ... horses. We were surrounded by horse ranches.

That’s so sad, poor thing, especially if he was a well known “ resident “ in the area.
I love polar bears. A lot of them are seen in some Alaskan towns and the Northern provinces of Canada, walking around the town or streets.