Zoo Miami announced Friday with "profound sadness" the passing of Kwame, the last lion at the zoo.
The 17-year-old male lion was humanely euthanized by the Animal Health and Animal Science teams after a prolonged battle with chronic health issues, said Zoo Miami Communications Director Ron Magill in a statement.
For the past few years, Kwame, like his brother Jabari who passed away in July, had been treated for "chronic arthritis, mostly in his upper spine, that limited his range of motion and level of comfort," said Magill, who noted the lion's condition had recently worsened, with him developing "extreme weakness in his hind quarters."
Despite a range of treatments aimed at providing pain relief, the zoo's staff determined his quality of life could not be improved, Magill said.
After a thorough examination, including radiographs, it was determined that all treatment options were "exhausted and no other path available for a cure or relief," said Magill, who said Zoo Miami officials then made the "very difficult decision" to euthanize him.
Kwame would have celebrated his 18th birthday on Saturday, an age that substantially exceeds the normal lifespan of a male lion in the wild which rarely lives past the age of 12.
Kwame and his brother, Jabari, arrived at Zoo Miami in November 2008 from the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin. The pair quickly became visitor favorites and fathered several cubs, leaving a lasting legacy at the zoo.
Zoo Miami has already begun making plans to bring new lions to the facility. It is working with the Lion Species Survival Plan, managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to introduce a new pride that will "form the foundation of a new pride that will follow the legacy of Kwame, Jabari, and the lions before them," Zoo Miami officials said.
