CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Lomelok, an African lion cub who was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in 2023, has died, zoo officials announced on Monday.
The cub, born in January 2023, had some mobility issues since birth, and in March 2024 Lomelok underwent surgery to fix a herniated disk.
After weeks of progress, medical intervention and physical therapy following the surgery, though, a statement from the zoo said “it was clear Lomelok was not on the path to recover the full life of a young lion cub.”
Recently, Lomelok was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal obstruction. Officials said addressing that obstruction would have required another intense surgery, plus a long recovery in isolation.
Instead of putting Lomelok through that experience, the zoo’s animal care staff made the decision to euthanize the 17-month-old cub.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support from the community for Lomelok throughout his health journey,” said Curator of Mammals Cassy Kutilek. “Lomelok’s name means ‘sweet’ in the Maa language, and that was the best way to describe him. There are no words to articulate how deeply he will be missed.”
The zoo will continue to monitor the lion cub pride.
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