Lioness Zuri With Pseudo-mane Dies in Kansas Zoo Following Two Years of Kidney Failure

After two years of fighting kidney failure, Zuri, the lioness that developed a pseudo-mane, passed away in a zoo in Kansas.

Zuri and her Pseudo-mane

The lioness Zuri at the Topeka Zoo passed away on Thursday at the age of 19.

After the death of the pride's male lion, Avus, in 2021, Zuri developed a pseudo-mane that became legendary. Even though Zuri was a female, she began producing more testosterone after Avus died, which caused her to grow a pseudo-mane, according to zookeepers who explained the phenomena.

NewScientist claims that lionesses occasionally develop a mane and even act somewhat like lions. However, up to this point, anecdotal accounts of such pseudo-maned lionesses have been very scarce. Our knowledge of their existence and behavior was limited.

Struggling From Kidney Disease

According to zoo officials, Zuri has received therapy for kidney failure, which is common in older lions, during the past two years. Her symptoms worsened and her appetite decreased in April, though.

Zuri was diagnosed with renal failure last week after an examination. She had stopped consuming food. The zoo decided to put Zuri to sleep.

According to Shanna Simpson, the animal curator, Zuri was a true lioness in charge, and everyone who knew her could see that she had a strong, independent personality. She had a wonderful rapport with the employees who looked after the animals despite usually being aggressive. The zoo team has always held Zuri in the highest regard and will mourn her dearly, according to Simpson.

At the Fort Worth Zoo in April 2004, sister lionesses Zuri and Asante were born. In 2005, both landed in Topeka.

According to Simpson, Asante is dealing with her aging-related issues and will be constantly watched.

The zoo personnel will pay close attention to Asante's needs going forward, according to Simpson, especially given the close relationship she had with her sister.

African Lions

At 19, Zuri outlived the average lifespan of African lions, which is 16.9 years, according to NBC15 WMTV.

Big cats like African lions are extremely versatile and can live in a number of settings, including semi-arid desert regions and even extremely dry ecosystems like the Kalahari desert. They favor wide-open wooded areas with dense undergrowth, in addition to scrub and grasslands, which allows them to follow their prey and find shade to rest during the warmest portion of the day.

African lions were once widely distributed across the majority of the continent, but they are now restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, with the majority of them, about 80%, living in eastern or southern Africa.

African lions are not currently at risk of extinction. But the majority of their populations are declining. Human-animal conflict, a fall in natural prey, habitat loss, climate change, and wildlife trade are the top challenges to African lions. The official designation for African lions is now "vulnerable," with only about 23,000 of them remaining in the wild, World Wildlife Fund reports.