Puma known as P-33 makes a safe freeway passage

A 16-month-old female mountain lion made famous in a series of remote-camera photographs left the Santa Monica Mountains early on a recent morning and somehow managed to cross the eight-lane 101 Freeway near Camarillo.

Surprised wildlife researchers said Thursday that the big cat's bold journey offers a measure of hope for the survival of mountain lions in the region.

The safe passage of the puma known as P-33 marks only the second time that National Park Service scientists have documented a successful crossing of the freeway since they began studying local mountain lions in 2002.

The other big cat to accomplish the harrowing feat was P-12, a male who crossed in 2009 in the opposite direction, from north to south.

In an all-in-the-family twist, P-12 fathered P-33.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-puma-crossing-20150320-story.html