COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—An icon at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Elson the black-maned African lion, is dead.
The Gazette reports that zoo officials reported that Elson died May 27 during a dental procedure. He was 16.
Animal keeper Jeannette Schwab Elson was the leader of the pride at the zoo and his full-body roar would prompt other lions to join in.
Elson was born in the wild in 1995. He was part of efforts to establish a diverse gene pool for African lions in North American zoos. He sired 13 cubs, and had seven grand cubs.
Three lionesses from the most recent litter born in 2007 remain at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Other offspring are in Pueblo, San Francisco, New York, Minot, N.D., and Baltimore.
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Information from: The Gazette,
