PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Tajiri, an African lioness at the Philadelphia Zoo, has died.
According to the zoo, the 15-year-old cat had an aggressive form of cancer and had been carefully monitored for a decreased appetite and behavioral changes. They say the Animal Care and Veterinary teams “made the difficult and compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her.”
Tajiri was born at the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin and came to Philadelphia in January 2012. She had a partner, Makini, with whom she had four female cubs just two years after her arrival, in 2014.
The zoo says she was one of the first cats in the Big Cat Falls to use the 20-foot-tall feeding pole, “demonstrating her incredible hunting skills to climb to the top, grab her food, and safely leap back down to enjoy her prize.”
“She was beloved by her caregivers and served as an incredible ambassador for her species for the hundreds of thousands of guests who had the chance to know her,” the zoo said in a statement.
The life expectancy of lions in the wild is 10-14 years. In zoos, it’s 15-20. Tajiri was considered geriatric.
The zoo says it will closely monitor Makini to ensure his health and well-being.