I’m sure it’s not just about the one cat. The article said it’s about all the cats in the park. But it’s probably not just them, from what I’ve read about mountain lions they are extremely mobile. They require a large territory -that’s probably how he ended up crossing freeways. When the Cubs grow up and go out on their own, they need to find new territory. If they don’t then they usually starve or get killed by the mountain lions that “own” the territory they are in. With corridors being shut off due to urban sprawl, the Lions have nowhere to go.
They are a remarkable species, they can survive in anything between mountains and deserts. But they have to be able to get there first.
Still, it would be far easier, far faster, far less costly, and far more practical to relocate P22 to some new area rather than build a new animal crossing and invite more critters to Griffith Park.
From The Mountain Lion Foundation: Mountain lions are solitary unless mating or parenting and maintain territories that average 100 square miles in size. Lions mark their territories by clawing trees and urinating on scratch piles of dry leaves, grass or pine needles. They will fight other lions, even to the death, to protect their territory. A female with kittens will move to a new den site within her territory every few weeks to protect her kittens from predators and male lions.
That’s an area of 10 miles by 10 miles for one cat! My wife spotted one on a hike this summer. I haven’t been that lucky. We spotted a bobcat on another hike this summer, but I only caught a brief glimpse of it moving into the brush beside the trail.