Cabara, Matriarch of Saint Louis Zoo’s lion pride, dies at 19

ST. LOUIS, Mo., (KSI) — Cabara, a 19-year-old African lion at the Saint Louis Zoo, has died.

Cabara was humanely euthanized Tuesday due to advanced liver disease, zoo officials said.

Born in 2005 at the Basel Zoo in Switzerland, Cabara arrived at the Saint Louis Zoo at 18 months old. She was paired with male lion Ingozi and successfully raised multiple litters, becoming a grandmother and great-grandmother as her offspring grew and had cubs of their own.

The zoo’s Animal Care and Animal Health teams provided Cabara with expert care throughout her life. She will be missed by her care team and zoo visitors, who remembered her feisty personality and fondness for climbing and napping.

The Saint Louis Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Saving Animals From Extinction Lion Program and supports field conservation efforts through the WildCare Institute.