Cancer claims third Denver Zoo lion this year, 2 others showing signs

Natal, a female South African lion, at Denver Zoo in 2009 (Provided by Denver Zoo)

The staff of the Denver Zoo is mourning the loss of a lion to cancer for the second time in a little over a month and the third time this year.

Natal, a female South African lion who would have been 16 next month, died Monday night. The cancer started in her breasts and spread to the rest of her body, the zoo stated.

On June 19, Rian, a 15-year-old male from South Africa, s uccumbed to cancer that started in his spleen. Cancerous cysts took the life of a 15-year-old female named Tawny in February.

"We'll miss her," Predator Ridge curator Hollie Colahan said of Natal's passing in a statement Tuesday. "Losing her so close to Rian the lion has been very hard for all of our staff.

"Our three remaining elderly lions are all similar in age and facing associated health issues. Our keepers love these animals and it's just a difficult reality to face."

The zoo is left with five lions, including two 1-year-olds, female Sabi and male Sango.

A 15-year-old male named Krueger has been diagnosed with cancer, and a 15-year-old female named Baby is being monitored since recently losing her appetite, the zoo said.

The Denver Zoo also has a healthy 15-year-old male named Rajah, Rian's brother.

"The lions that we have lost have all developed different types of illnesses that only have one thing in common ? you see them with elderly animals at the end of their life span," Denver Zoo veterinarian Betsy Stringer said. "Unfortunately, these lions that we have loved watching flourish in our Predator Ridge exhibit since 2004 are at the end of their life span. This is the hardest part of working at the zoo ? knowing you'll eventually have to say goodbye."

The zoo said lions in the wild live to about 15, and the median age for zoo lions is 16.8 years,

The zoo said tumors are common in older female cats. Natal's tumor was large and invaded the lymphatic ducts around the mammary gland where it began.

"Without hope for recovery, zoo staff opted to keep Natal as comfortable as possible and monitor her quality of life," the zoo stated. "When Natal became extremely lethargic and stopped eating, staff made the difficult decision to euthanize her."

Natal had been a resident of the zoo's Predator Ridge since 2004.She had been the surrogate mother of an orphaned cub, Asali, who had been rejected by her mother after her birth in 2005.

Natal then gave birth to a female lion cub named Kazi the next year.

Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joeybunch

Source: http://www.brushnewstribune.com/ci_23715335/cancer-claims-third-denver-zoo-lion-this-year?source=rss_viewed

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