Mountain Lion Caught In Rare Sighting Crossing 101 Freeway

AGOURA HILLS (CBSLA) -- The mountain lion known as P-64 was documented crossing the 101 Freeway in the Liberty Canyon area of Agoura Hills.

The mountain lion was captured on Feb. 28 on Boeing property at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The following day, the mountain lion, believed to be three to four years old, reportedly traversed the 101 Freeway.

P-64 can be seen on trail cameras using a culvert that runs beneath the freeway to cross.

"It's really interesting that this mountain lion figured out how to use this extremely long and dark culvert under the freeway," Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area wildlife ecologist Seth Riley in a press release. "We have had many other collared mountain lions come close to the freeway in the Liberty Canyon area and not manage to get across."

National Park Service researchers say the rare sighting highlights the area's importance as an ideal location for a wildlife crossing.

"This discovery is exciting because it reaffirms that the proposed wildlife crossing at Liberty Canyon is going in the right place," said Riley "and, once completed, will be used by mountain lions and other wildlife."