The Lion Sleeps Tonight: P-22, Elusive L.A. Menace, Is Captured

Having closely followed the travails of the celebrity feline, Ms. Picchi said she immediately knew whom the officials were talking about. “Everybody in my neighborhood has been watching the sightings,” she said. “People are concerned about P-22.”

Ms. Picchi said that after bringing her dog inside, she and her husband had watched through the window as officials tranquilized the puma and wrapped him gently in a tarp.

The big, beloved cat, she added, had captured not just the attention of her neighborhood, but something essential about the city of Los Angeles, about its nature as a place where the wild integrates with the urban, and where the vast space can oftentimes make even the most connected of humans feel lonely.

“They feel a lot of empathy for him because he’s kind of on his own,” Ms. Picchi said of the city’s residents, adding that she and others had become enthralled with P-22’s story: Where was he going? What was his life like? “There’s this wild animal,” she added, “that is kind of an Angeleno himself. ”

Wildlife officials say that veterinarians and biologists are now working together “to find the most humane option available” for P-22. But many residents, including Ms. Picchi, have expressed concern about the beast’s fate.

Beth Pratt, the California executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, said that figuring out what comes next for P-22 could prove challenging, given the territorial nature of male mountain lions. After years roaming solitary in the wild, he might also find transition to a sanctuary challenging, she said.

“I’m glad he’s now under safe keeping,” Ms. Pratt said. “He’s under good care, and we’re going to find out what’s going on.”