The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, part of the National Park System, has been devastated by the deadly Woolsey Fire, and five of the collared mountain lions that live in the area have not been found.
Authorities say 83 percent of all National Parks Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains has been burned by the blaze, which started burning last Thursday, reported CBS Los Angeles. The fire, which is just 35% contained, has burned more than 96,000 acres, destroyed 435 structures and killed two civilians.
All National Parks Service lands have been closed to public entry. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced he may visit the Woolsey Fire burn area Thursday if conditions permit.
National Park Service biologists say of the 13 mountain lions being tracked via GPS collar in and around the mountain range, five are unaccounted for, including P-22, who was famously photographed in Griffith Park with the Hollywood sign in the distance.
Four monitored bobcats are also believed to have survived, but their habitats have been burned, according to the National Park Service.
Biologists have been studying the behavior of big cats in the Santa Monica Mountains due to their hemmed-in environment. The mountain range is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the north and east by major freeways.
