Hogle Zoo is mourning the death of one of its two African lions.
"Flip," the zoo's 16-year-old male lion, died late Wednesday morning from what zoo officials believe to be age-related causes.
The lion began showing signs of declining health over the past week. Veterinary staff maintained supportive and constant treatment but lost the battle Wednesday.
Zoo veterinary staff are awaiting results of a necropsy, an autopsy for an animal. Initial reports indicate abnormalities in the liver and spleen, possibly cancer, although final pathology results will not be known for several weeks.
The animal was cherished by both staff and zoo guests, spokeswoman Stacey Phillips said.
One of the feline staff summed up the loss, "He has always been the king of the cat building. His roar, which echoed through the zoo, will be missed by all."
The zoo's female lion, "Abby," remains in good health.
Gene Baierschmidt, executive director of the Humane Society of Utah and one of the zoo's biggest critics in recent years — especially of its aging feline facility — agreed that the lion's death was natural and not due to any neglect.
"They did give it good medical treatment," he said. "It's unfortunate it had to die."
Phillips said the lion's older age is attributable to the great care the zoo staff has given it over the years. Flip came to Hogle Zoo in January of 1989. He was born in September 1987.
According to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, there are approximately 250 African lions in accredited zoos. Of those, Flip was one of the oldest. Average life expectancy for a lion in captivity is 15 to 19 years.
The oldest ever lion on record lived to be 30.
Phillips said that even though old age is likely the cause of the lion's death, that hasn't made it any easier for the zoo's care staff to deal with the loss.
"It's hard regardless," she said, explaining some of the zoo staff see the animals more often than their own families.
Phillips said it's unclear when and if the zoo will be able to secure another male lion. "We don't know," she said.
The two lions had lived together at Hogle Zoo for many years, but had never produced any offspring.
She said the lion hadn't been in any pain recently, though it had been eating less and sleeping more.
African lions are unique among the big cats in that they live in social groups called prides, which consist of one to four adult males, several adult females, cubs and young adults. Lions are also the only cats with manes, which are sported only by the males.
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