Pittsburgh Zoo announces death of 6-year-old lion
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announced the death of its 6-year-old lion, Kit, on Friday, Aug. 4, in a news release.
Zoo staff observed visible signs of illness in Kit, and he was taken to the zoo’s veterinary hospital Friday morning, according to the release. Through extensive testing and X-rays, vets found something blocking his digestive system, and the team rushed him into emergency surgery, which Kit did not survive.
“The loss of an animal is always heartbreaking, and the loss of two beloved animals so quickly has been hard on everyone,” Jeremy Goodman, president & CEO of the zoo, said in the release. “We truly appreciate the outpouring of community support.”
News of the Kit’s death comes just a week after the death of 9-year-old Kovu, a red panda at the zoo, on July 30.
Kit came to Pittsburgh in 2019 with a pair of female lions, Abana and Scarlett. In July 2020, Kit and Abana welcomed a litter of three cubs, which were relocated to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo in the summer of 2022. With fewer than 25,000 African lions remaining in the wild, Kit’s legacy will help sustain the future of this vulnerable species, the release stated. Abana and Scarlett remain at the Pittsburgh Zoo and will continue to receive wellness checks from the zoo staff.
