Letters to the Editor: Statues and stars for P-22 are meaningless. Honor him by protecting nature

To the editor: To venerate the late Griffith Park mountain lion P-22 is misplaced if we do not fix the hellscape in which we made him try to survive.

Our kind is devastating to the non-human animals on this planet. P-22 did not stand a chance among us ruthless homo sapiens. Nor does any life form, even our own.

We do not need animals for anything that we use them for. Celebrating them in death lets us float our guilt down the river of Lethe. Can you count the bodies, the billions upon billions we have used and abused through our presence?

For those of us who believe in a god, we must pray for a loving, forgiving deity. Otherwise, we don’t stand a chance. Nor should we.

Deidra Goulding, Tujunga

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To the editor: I am also saddened by the death of P-22. In our urban and suburban landscape, we are also surrounded by wildlife that are not as charismatic as the beloved feline but still deserve our protection and appreciation.

The endangered El Segundo and Palos Verdes blue butterflies, California gnatcatcher and cactus wren face serious threats to their existence and are benefiting from restoration efforts.

Even less visible are species such as the flower loving fly, carpenter bee, golden orb weaving spider, white-lined sphinx moth, lesser goldfinch and diabolical ironclad beetle, to name just a few of many.

By preserving and restoring habitat as well as filling our gardens with local native vegetation, we can greatly benefit our diverse and amazing wildlife, large and small.

Tony Baker, Rancho Palos Verdes

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To the editor: We need to do far more than erect a statue or add P-22 to the city flag. Instead, we need to recognize that humans share the planet with more than 8 million other species, and those plants and animals need space where they can live free from human interference.

That means places where humans aren’t allowed, except perhaps to enforce the restrictions and for limited research access. Unless a substantial amount of land and water is left alone, the services we get from the natural world — drinkable water and breathable air, to name just two — will be lost.

It’s time to end our selfishness and recognize the rights of other creatures.

Carol Mathews, Redwood City, Calif.

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To the editor: The best way to remember and revere P-22 is to build that protected highway crossing so other cougars can safely reach new areas where they can breed.

Right now, the inbreeding of cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains is a huge problem. The wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills will allow mountain lions to roam in a way that improves their health and survival.

What more would P-22 want than a fighting chance to survive and thrive? It’s up to us. A statue or a star on Hollywood Boulevard is useless. The state and counties must make safe freeway passage a reality.

Katherine Holden, Ojai

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To the editor: As a follow up to the powerful murals commemorating the life of mountain lion P-22, it would be appropriate to name a section of a local Los Angeles freeway in his honor.

It would also be a good way to remind us of the lives and intrinsic value of our fellow travelers that surround us in their beautiful mountain habitats.

Robert C. Pavlik, San Luis Obispo