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Well-known Sacramento Zoo lion, Kamau, dies at age 16
Jun 22, 2023SACRAMENTO, California: Officials have announced that Kamau, an African lion who was a star attraction at California’s Sacramento Zoo, has died at age 16.
Kamau was euthanized over the weekend, a day after he was pulled off an exhibit because of declining health due to his old age, the zoo said in a statement.
The lion was considered elderly with worsening gastrointestinal problems, “and the difficult decision to proceed with humane euthanasia was made when medical treatment options failed to provide sufficient relief from his condition,” the zoo added.
Kamau is one of the zoo’s “most charismatic and iconic animals,” it added.
Kamau came to Sacramento from the San Diego Zoo in 2008, and in 2014 he fathered a litter of cubs.
The zoo said that a few years later, his habitat doubled in size, and a glass viewing wall allowed guests to get “nose-to-nose” with both Kamau and his mate, Cleo.
African lions typically live 10 to 15 years, but can live up to 25 years in captivity.
