Cub P-52 killed on same freeway as mother lion

P-52, a seven-month old male cub tagged in the National Park Service study of Los Angeles-area mountain lions, was found dead last month on the 118 Freeway, near where his mother, P-39, had been struck and killed on Dec. 3, the park service said today. At the time P-39 was killed, researchers believed that any surviving cubs faced a precarious future without their mother.

P-52 is the 14th known case of a mountain lion killed on a freeway or road in the local study since 2002.

"Although this is a very sad turn of events, I hope that our research can shed insight into the lives of these animals and will inspire future conservation efforts to help wildlife move through the region more safely," said ranger Kate Kuykendall of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

P-52 was one of the litter of kittens (above) photographed last year feeding on a deer. The father is believed to be P-38.

Until her death, P-39 roamed the Santa Susana Mountains north of the 118 Freeway. She had crossed the highway in Santa Susana Pass successfully before being struck.