Bobcat killed on LV road


KILLED—Male bobcat B-361 was struck by a car on Las Virgenes Road. Courtesy of National Park Service

KILLED—Male bobcat B-361 was struck by a car on Las Virgenes Road. Courtesy of National Park Service

An adult male bobcat, B-361, was struck and killed by a car the evening of March 15 on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas.

The male cat was collared by National Park Service biologists Nov. 6, 2018. He roamed between the burned and unburned areas of Malibu Canyon, the park service said.

His carcass was collected and will undergo a necropsy, although the cause of the death is not in dispute.

The park service said as with all the animals in their bobcat study, collecting tissue samples and learning about the general health of animals is an important research tool.

The death of B-361 occurred on almost the same spot of the canyon road where B-356 was hit and killed by a car last July, officials said.

Being struck by a vehicle is the second most common cause of death for bobcats in the NPS study area next to mange.

“We share the Santa Monica Mountains with large wild animals like deer, bobcats and mountain lions who sometimes make attempts to cross the road and freeways even,” NPS ranger Ana Beatriz said. “In this case, it was not a successful attempt.”

Acorn staff report