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N.C. Zoo's female lion dies after battling cancer

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Friday, September 3, 2010

(Updated 9:39 pm)

Staff Reports

ASHEBORO — A female lion was euthanized Friday morning at the N.C. Zoo after veterinarians determined that mammary cancer had spread to the point that she would not recover, the zoo said in a press release.

The 12-year-old lion had been at the zoo since 2002.

She had been transferred from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas.

The lion was diagnosed with the problem two weeks ago, but her condition had deteriorated rapidly.

“The cancer had metastasized to the lungs and she was suffering,” Ryan DeVoe, the zoo's senior veterinarian, said in the press release. “There was nothing we could do for her.”

The zoo’s 9-year-old male lion remains on exhibit and was in good health, the zoo said.

Efforts to find a replacement for the female have not yet begun.

Accompanying Photos

Photo courtesy of Tom Gillespie

Photo Caption: The female lion at the N.C. Zoo was euthanized Friday morning.

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Dogwood

September 3, 2010 - 4:29 pm EDT

I remember back in 1974 there was a great deal of urethane foam used to mimic rock and other structures at the start of the North Carolina Zoo. Is the ledge the female is resting on granite or urethane? Lions live in Africa on great grasslands.

d_random

September 3, 2010 - 7:25 pm EDT

You are right dogwood. There is no reason these majestic animals should be held in these artifical environment for our so called "education". If you want animal education, watch the Discovery channel or Natural Geographic.

Imagine if all the millions that was poured into zoos in the U.S. was instead invested in saving the endangered natural habitats that they are suppose to live in?

NotRocketScience

September 3, 2010 - 10:15 pm EDT

36 years ago is a long time ago. Unfortunately, lions are in countries not in our control. Sorry, not a perfect world. Thanks to the vets and staff that helped this animal.

laserguidedloogie

September 4, 2010 - 9:06 pm EDT

Aw come on NotRocketScience.

This is a perfect opportunity for us to put on a morally superior air and indulge in a bit of sanctimony over how evil OTHER people are because they wont renounce modernity.

I mean, what good is the death of this lion from cancer if we can't use it as an object lesson in how much better we are than those do wicked things like, for example, go to the zoo.

However, I have Dogwood and d_random both beat. You see, *I* don;'t even watch Discovery channel. After all that is just another way of exploiting animals and invading their habitat while engaging a bit of smug speicism. Shame on you two!

Ken < feeling mighty good about myself right now >
Laser Guided Loogie