Mountain lion killed on the 405 Freeway on Fourth of July

A mountain lion was found dead next to the center divider of the 405 Freeway on Thursday afternoon, the second time a deceased puma has been discovered on a Southern California freeway in a month.

The mountain lion was discovered next to the center divider between the Getty Center and Skirball Center Drive freeway exit about 2:30 p.m., said Austin Chavez, spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol’s West Los Angeles office.

“It was laying within the center divider at which time one of our officers located the mountain lion and confirmed that it was deceased,” Chavez said.

CHP notified the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Transportation about the incident.

The cause of the animal’s death is under investigation. Chavez said the officer at the scene said there were no indications that the mountain lion suffered from blunt force trauma from a motor collision, but a vehicle collision wasn’t entirely ruled out.

Officials with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said the mountain lion did not have a collar and was not part of the pack that the National Park Service studies.

Last month, a mountain lion was found dead in the far right lane of the the 101 Freeway near Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills. National Wildlife Federation officials said the death was likely caused by a car.

The incident occurred near the construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a project that’s set to be completed in 2026.