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       FAMOUS ANIMALS OF GRIFFITH PARK

      Griffith Park’s history with famous critters arguably begins in the 1950s, when a kangaroo named Parky walked the grounds on weekends with a pith-helmeted ranger who handed out park information and encouraged visitors not to litter. At the same time, the much-criticized Griffith Park Zoo had an infamous resident named Ivan the Terrible—a nine-hundred-pound male polar bear who killed three other polar bears in the zoo and was generally feared by everyone in Los Angeles.

      But the area has had some more recent, friendlier famous animals, including Reggie the Alligator, who was illegally raised in captivity and released in Harbor City in 2005. He was spotted in a lake there for several years and became a media sensation before being captured in 2007 and moved to the L.A. Zoo. Later that year, Reggie escaped his habitat and was found soaking up some rays near the loading dock. He still resides in the zoo today.

      The L.A. Zoo’s most recent famous addition is Hope, a California condor. Hope was hatched in captivity in Idaho and was meant to be released into the wild as part of a rehabilitation effort for the species, but when they noticed she had a wing injury, she was instead moved to the L.A. Zoo, where she now serves as an educational ambassador and the world’s first California condor to participate in a free-flight bird show.

      Arguably the most famous animal inside Griffith Park, however, is the male mountain lion known as P-22. First discovered on wildlife cameras by Angeleno biologist Miguel Ordeñana in 2012, P-22 has become something of a mascot for the cause of urban wildlife in L.A. To reach Griffith Park, P-22 had to cross the 101 and I-405, two of the nation’s largest and busiest freeways. He has helped Angelenos become more aware of the dangers of rodenticide, more appreciative of the natural world in their city, and more generous toward an ambitious project to build the world’s largest wildlife crossing over the 101 at Liberty Canyon. He even has his own Facebook page and Instagram account (www.facebook.com/p22mountainlionofhollywood and www.instagram.com/p22mountainlion, respectively), and he remains a beloved citizen of Los Angeles . . . even after he allegedly popped into the L.A. Zoo in 2016 to snack on a koala bear.

      Over the past few years, this data gathering and interpretation has been made exponentially easier with the development of free smartphone apps like iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org). When you take a photo of something with your smartphone, it will usually automatically assign it a time stamp and geo-location. When you get home, you can upload those photos via the app or website, and other community members will help you identify what you saw. Then scientists can use that data to help track migrations, invasive species, the effects of climate change, and other information—and you’ll have fun learning about what you saw, too.

       Dangerous Stuff

      Most accidents in Griffith Park are usually the result of underestimating a hike, not taking enough food or water, or spending too much time outside when it’s hot. Animal encounters are extremely rare, and most are easily avoidable, as the majority of healthy animals want absolutely nothing to do with humans.

       Coyotes

      Coyotes are the largest animal you’re most likely to encounter in the park. Coyotes have had a negative stigma for generations, but these expert survivors have adapted well to the urban landscape of Griffith Park. They will generally leave you alone, but take care with small children and dogs—there’s a reason dogs are required to be on leash everywhere inside the park!

      A coyote (Canis latrans) searches among California sagebrush and buckwheat. (photo by Sarah Brewer)

      P-22 has a solid claim on being the most famous mountain lion (Puma concolor) in the world. (photo by Miguel Ordeñana)

      If you encounter a coyote or pack of coyotes and they don’t seem to be moving away on their own, the advice is the same as for most larger animals—stand your ground and make a lot of noise. They’ll usually look at you oddly and duck back into the brush.

       Mountain Lions

      There is exactly one known mountain lion living inside Griffith Park, P-22, and he is collared and tracked. Although P-22’s range is significantly smaller than that of other mountain lions, his behavior hasn’t changed much—he’s extremely elusive, hunts by stealth, and actively avoids human encounters.

      If you do encounter P-22—or any other mountain lion—stay calm and consider yourself lucky. Mountain lion encounters statewide are extremely rare and even more rarely result in injury to humans. However, small animals and children may be at greater risk than adults. Just in case you do meet one, here are some tips, which are all generally good advice for any wildlife encounter you’d prefer to avoid:

      •Don’t run: Running may trigger the lion’s hunting instinct and cause an encounter that may not otherwise happen.

      •Look big: Mountain

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