09/10/2026
A Statue Celebrating the Legacy of P-22, Hollywood’s Iconic Mountain Lion, is Coming to Griffith Park
A generous donation by Joann and Frank Randall will fund a special sculpture of Los Angeles’ beloved P-22 mountain lion.
The statue is the work of a talented local LA artist and celebrates how one mountain lion forever changed how Angelenos and people everywhere view the importance of learning to live with the wildlife that surrounds us.
The National Wildlife Federation’s campaign and Friends of Griffith Park announced today that Joann and Frank Randall have generously donated all of the funding that is needed to create a special sculpture of the iconic P-22 mountain lion, who lived in Griffith Park in the heart of Hollywood for over a decade. The statue, crafted by Los Angeles-based artist Adam Matano, will underscore the remarkable legacy that P-22 created by forever changing how Angelenos and people all over the world understand urban wildlife conservation and coexistence. The statue, which will have a permanent place in a special spot at the Griffith Park Visitors Center, will also create a unique space inside the cat’s former home where people will be able to celebrate and reflect on their connection to P-22’s story and the natural world.
Friends of Griffith Park and the National Wildlife Federation’s campaign sponsored the project, and worked with Matano, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, and Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman to bring this statue to the City of Los Angeles.
Joann Randall, a longstanding supporter of conservation causes, generously donated the entire cost to create the statue. A plaque at the statue installation site will honor Joann and her late husband Frank Randall for their special contribution.
Photo credits: Patrick Churvis
Matano has completed the clay art form, a meticulous process with tremendous detail that has taken many months. The statue will now head to the foundry, where it will take shape in bronze before it is installed in Griffith Park at a date to be announced in the future.
n 2012, a group of biologists working on the Griffith Park Connectivity Study, initiated and funded by Friends of Griffith Park, discovered that P-22 was living in Griffith Park. Incredibly, P-22 had managed to cross two of Los Angeles’ busiest freeways without being hurt and would go on to live in one of the most visited urban parks in the country and roam Hollywood neighborhoods for nearly a decade. In 2013, National Geographic photographer Steve Winter captured P-22 with the legendary Hollywood sign set against the night sky, and this iconic image made P-22 an international sensation.
P-22’s story of survival against all the odds also ignited the campaign and led to the creation of the visionary Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.Scheduled to open for wildlife on December 2nd of this year, the bridge will be the largest of its kind in the world and a global model for urban wildlife conservation.
In December of 2022, after more than a decade living in Griffith Park, P-22 showed signs of distress and was humanely euthanized by wildlife officials. The response to P-22’s loss was unprecedented. Thousands of Angelenos, students from communities across the city, musicians and more – came together for a sold-out celebration of P-22’s life, where attendees reflected on the mountain lion’s story, impact and enduring legacy, at LA’s Greek Theatre in early 2023. In the months following the Greek Theater celebration, a discussion emerged around ways to permanently memorialize P-22 and the idea of an appropriate statue to honor his legacy was born.
As a longstanding supporter of Friends of Griffith Park and the National Wildlife Federation’s campaign, Joann Randall was inspired to support the project. A steadfast conservationist and animal lover, Joann also holds Griffith Park very close to her heart since she spent much time there in her youth with her family.
“Joann and Frank Randall have made historic contributions to conservation, including to the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing,” said Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation and lead at the campaign. “I am overjoyed that Joann wants to ensure that P-22 is honored for his incredible legacy. Her generous donation to fund this sculpture will allow people to connect to this world-famous mountain lion that meant so much to so many around the globe. As someone who loved P-22 deeply, I am glad he will be recognized for how he changed conservation.”
After a public call for submissions, dozens of artists submitted their ideas for the P-22 sculpture – with local sculptor Adam Matano’s proposal selected for his formidable sculpting skills and dedication to artistic pieces that reflect the resilience and fragility of the natural world. The artist has named his sculpture, “Earth to City: Rhapsody of the Wild King.”
“My inspiration to name the piece “Earth to City: Rhapsody of the Wild King” was based upon several compelling ideas,” said Adam Matano, Artist and Creator of the P-22 Mountain Lion Sculpture. “The idea of the wild entering Los Angeles and awakening the city to the nature already within it; creating a sweeping, emotional composition rather than a conventional memorial; and transforming P-22 into a king not because he dominated the territory but rather because he lived according to his own nature and captured the heart of a city.”
“We are thrilled that, thanks to Joann and Frank Randall, Adam’s magnificent statue will have a home in Griffith Park,” said Gerry Hans, President of Friends of Griffith Park. “The discovery of P-22 during FoGP's Griffith Park Connectivity Study dispelled all notions that the park is an ecological island. P-22 was introduced to the world, and we cannot think of a better place for his majestic beauty and formidable legacyas a “Wild King” to be remembered and celebrated,” Hans added. “Not only was P-22 adored by the people of Los Angeles and far beyond, he has inspired enlightened thinking about living alongside wildlife in urban areas, habitat fragmentation, and connectivity, in Griffith Park and throughout the world.”
The project is also made possible with the support of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parksand Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman.
"The Department of Recreation and Parks is honored and thrilled to celebrate P-22’s enduring legacy with a statue here in Griffith Park," said Jimmy Kim, General Manager at the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. "His incredible journey taught us invaluable lessons about the resilience of wildlife in our urban wilderness and continues to guide our dedication to preserving open spaces, supporting wildlife corridors, and fostering safe coexistence between people and nature in Los Angeles."
“P-22 captured the imagination of this city — a reminder that even in the middle of a sprawling metropolis, the wild is never far away. Showcasing P-22 bridging both the natural and man-made world, and navigating the space and dangers in between, Adam Matano’s design is a beautiful ode to the improbable life led by our beloved mountain lion,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents Griffith Park.
