A mountain lion that was found dead in California last month had rat poison in its system, officials said Tuesday.

The animal, dubbed P-47, was found dead on March 21 in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the National Park Service said.

A necropsy determined the 3-year-old may have died from rat poison, as he had six different compounds of rodenticide in its system, but the exact cause of death wasn't confirmed.

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P-47 might have eaten a squirrel or other animal that ingested the poison, or snacked on a coyote or other predator that ate tainted prey, according to researchers.

The National Park Service said poison compounds were found in 21 out of 22 mountain lions tested by biologists.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.