Reilly, a 23-year-old male lion and familiar attraction at the North Carolina Zoo, has died. | North Carolina Zoo
Reilly, a 23-year-old male lion and familiar attraction at the North Carolina Zoo, has died. | North Carolina Zoo
Reilly, a 23-year-old male lion and familiar attraction at the North Carolina Zoo, has died.
“He was so tolerant of his rambunctious offspring and was fiercely devoted to his lady lion, Mekita,” zookeeper Beth Malott said in a recent CBS report. “Reilly was a one-of-a-kind soul, and his morning roars will be greatly missed.”
The zoo made the tough decision to euthanize him because he suffered from kidney disease and veterinarians said the illness, his age and the fact that he was extremely weak were considered before putting him down.
“Renal disease is not uncommon for a cat of Reilly’s advanced age, be it a domestic cat sitting on your chair at home or a lion at the zoo,” Director of Animal Health and Chief Veterinarian Dr. J.B. Minter said. “We had been extremely fortunate to be able to monitor the advancement of Reilly’s renal disease over the years using operant conditioning to get blood from his tail, but unfortunately, the progression of the renal disease along with his previously diagnosed spinal disease proved to be too much. I will surely miss hearing his roar from across the park.”
With Reilly gone, the zoo is left with just one lion, his partner, Mekita. No decision on replacing Reilly has been made.
According to a WTVD report, Reilly was born in captivity in Chicago and lived at the North Carolina Zoo for 21 years.
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