Authorities say a mountain lion that died last month in the wilderness west of Los Angeles had rat poison in its system.
The lion dubbed P-47 had no visible wounds when it was found dead March 21 in the Santa Monica Mountains.
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area announced Tuesday that P-47 had six compounds of a rodenticide in its system. It’s unclear if that caused the death.
Researchers say P-47 may have eaten a squirrel or other animal that ingested the poison, or snacked on a coyote or other predator that ate tainted prey.
The National Park Service has found poison compounds in more than a dozen local cougars.
Associated Press