Research overview: collared pumas crossing Los Angeles freeways

Beyond P-22, several GPS-collared mountain lions in the National Park Service Santa Monica Mountains study have made rare, documented crossings of major freeways, including the 405 and 101, each event captured by telemetry as a near-instantaneous dash across lanes of traffic. This overview synthesizes what these crossings revealed: that freeways are formidable but not absolute barriers, that successful crossers are exceptional, and that many cats die attempting the same. The data quantified how roads fragment the population and elevate genetic isolation and mortality. Such individual crossing events, recorded in fine detail, provided concrete evidence used to justify wildlife crossing infrastructure. The overview frames these animals as case studies in how telemetry turns singular dramatic movements into actionable conservation science.