Cheyenne Mountain Zoo mourns death of African lioness
Zwena, a 13-year-old African lioness at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, was euthanized Monday due to her failing health.
Courtesy of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
A 13-year-old African lioness of a Cheyenne Mountain Zoo pride was euthanized Monday because of declining health that ultimately led to mobility issues, zoo officials said in a news release.
Zwena’s “energetic personality and intense focus” made her an “amazing ambassador” for the African lions at the zoo, the release said.
Zwena was born at the zoo in 2007. In 2015, she began to show symptoms of a neurological disease, officials said. In July, caretakers decided to make changes to Zwena’s daily activities to include keeping her in the maternity space on days when her symptoms were worse. The caretakers made decisions daily about which spaces she could safely explore.
A 13-year-old African lioness at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was euthanized Monday due to her failing health. Zwena was born at the zoo in 2007.…
“She’s not uncomfortable or suffering, and we want to keep her that way,” Diana Miller, African Rift Valley keeper and Zwena’s primary trainer, said in a July news release. Miller worked with Zwena for nine years. “She’s mentally there, but she will sway or stumble as she walks, even on flat ground. We have seen her leaning against walls for stability or high-stepping over non-existent obstacles.”
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Between July and October, Zwena’s health and quality of life declined quickly. The median life expectancy for African lions is 16.9 years, according to zoo officials.
Zwena lived with Abuto, the pride patriarch; her sister Lomela, and Elsa, Lomela’s female cub. The two younger males in the pride are Lomela’s male cubs, Aslan and Boma, who now live in their own “bachelor prides,” the zoo said.
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Zwena loved playing with the cubs and helped guide them into the exhibit’s yard for their first time, the Monday news release said.
“That was her vivacious personality in a nutshell,” Miller said in the news release. “She made me the keeper I am today. You make connections with all of the animals you care for, but some animals leave a bigger paw print on your heart. Zwena definitely did that for me.”
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