‘The Brad Pitt of mountain lions’: how P22 became Los Angeles’ wildest celebrity

Griffith Park's famous feline - who evades sightings better than any movie star - has inspired murals, songs and even an exhibit on his life

The mountain lion known as P22 has become something of a celebrity in the city of Los Angeles. The big cat resides in Griffith Park, a 4,000-acre park tucked in the Hollywood hills, and has inspired murals, songs and even an exhibit about his life.

This February marks 10 years since scientists first found P22 while setting up camera traps in the area. His discovery was considered jaw-dropping, and scientists say that P22 has come to symbolize something uniquely LA, a city where wild landscapes rub shoulders with dense urbanism.