Los Angeles once had a four-legged folk hero: P-22, a lone mountain lion that improbably took up residence in Griffith Park. A famous photo features the charismatic cat with the Hollywood sign strategically aligned in the background. When P-22 died in 2022, the outpouring of attention included a celebration of his life at the Greek Theatre. P-22 became a rallying cry that pried loose the donations and public dollars that funded the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing across the U.S. 101 freeway near Los Angeles.

A bridge dedicated to helping animals safely cross one of the busiest freeways in the nation seems a cause worth supporting. But this particular effort comes with a breathtaking price tag and lavish overengineering—and is entirely unnecessary to protect the mountain lion.

Consider

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