Fresno Chaffee Zoo loses lion pride matriarch. ‘Her pain levels were no longer manageable’

Kiki, the matriarch of Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s pride of African lions, had died.

The 17-year-old lioness had progressive spinal arthritis, which veterinary staff had been monitoring and treating since she arrived at the zoo in 2015, the zoo said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Recently, Kiki displayed a progressive decline in her mobility and extreme weakness in her rear legs,” said Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Shannon Nodolf.

“Her pain levels were no longer manageable and for Kiki’s quality of life, the decision was made to humanely euthanize her.”

Kiki arrived at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo with daughter Zamaya and she gave birth to male lion cub while at the zoo. That son, Kijani, is now a father at the Dallas Zoo.

“She was an amazing ambassador to her species. This loss reminds us about the importance of the preservation of these beautiful animals both in zoos and the wild, ” Fresno Chaffee Zoo CEO Jon Forrest Dohlin said.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, lions are currently listed as a vulnerable species as populations are declining due to habitat loss from droughts, soil erosion, overgrazing and human expansion.

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo, through its conservation fund, has been a long-time partner of the Ruaha Carnivore Project in Tanzania. The group works to protect lions and other large carnivores “by helping local communities develop effective strategies for harmonious human-carnivore coexistence.”

In the wild, African lions live between 10 to 14 years of age.

This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 9:40 AM.