SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kamau, the African lion who was a star attraction at California’s Sacramento Zoo, has died aged 16, officials said.
The zoo said Kamau was euthanized on Saturday, a day after the big cat was removed from an exhibit due to declining health due to advanced age.
The lion was considered elderly with worsening gastrointestinal issues, “and the difficult decision to perform humane euthanasia was made when medical treatment options failed to sufficiently alleviate his condition,” he said. the zoo said in a statement. statement.
The statement called Kamau one of the “most charismatic and iconic animals” at the zoo.
He came to Sacramento from the San Diego Zoo in 2008 and in the years since has drawn crowds hoping to hear his impressive roar.
In 2014, the lion fathered a litter of cubs. A few years later, its habitat doubled in size, and a glass viewing wall allowed guests to come “face-to-face” with Kamau and his companion, Cleo, the zoo said.
Cleo, now 18, is in good health. African lions typically live 10 to 15 years, depending on the zoo, but they can live up to 25 years in captivity.