Reid Park Zoo's 21-year-old African lioness was euthanized Monday morning after zoo officials deemed her progressive arthritis and old age too much for her to bear.
A-Tatu's health had been watched carefully by zoo officials over the past few years, said Reid Park Zoo administrator Susan Basford.
After careful medical consideration between supervisors and the zoo veterinarian, the decision was made to put her to sleep, she said.
The average life expectancy of lions in captivity is 20 years compared with 15 years in the wild.
There are two remaining lions at the zoo, one of which is 21 years old. Although he is deaf and moving slowly, he still maintains a high quality of life, said a media release.
"We have a lot of older animals that we keep a close eye on," Basford said.
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The last animal euthanized at Reid Park Zoo was Yebo, a giraffe that also suffered from arthritis, said Basford. Yebo was euthanized in April 2007.
Zoo officials haven't decided yet on bringing in another lion, Basford said.
"We may wait awhile and reassess the situation," said Basford. "It would be nice to get a youngster here."
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