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Denver Zoo on Tuesday announced the death of Rajah, a 17-year-old male South African lion.
Rajah was the last surviving member of the first group of lions to move to Benson Predator Ridge upon its opening in 2004, the zoo said in a news release. The zoo’s animal-care and veterinary teams had been treating Rajah for a variety of age-related issues for several years.
After witnessing a significant decline in his condition over the past few weeks, zoo officials decided to humanely euthanize him Tuesday morning. The median life span of lions in zoos is 16.8 years, while lions in the wild live about 15 years.
The zoo has three other lions: Sango, Rajah’s nephew; and 3-year-old females Sabi and Neliah.
