MIAMI — Zoo Miami says on Monday, it had to put down its 11-year-old matriarch lioness, Kashifa.
On March 4, Kashifa suddenly lost mobility in her back legs while she was out on exhibit at the zoo. Vets came in and were able to immobilize her and perform check her out immediately. Through these tests, vets were not able to find an obvious cause for the sudden paraplegia.
Within 48 hours, she had an MRI which determined that she sustained a non-compressive injury to her spinal cord.
Kashifa went through nearly three weeks of intensive care from the Animal Health and Animal Science teams at the zoo to provide her with every possible path for a successful recovery. However, she never showed any improvements and was not able to feel any deep pain or other sensation in her hindquarters.
Once it was determined her injuries were non-recoverable, Zoo Miami made the decision to euthanize her on Monday, March 22.
Zoo Miami says Kashifa was born at the Bronx zoo back in 2010. In 2014, she gave birth to four cubs at Zoo Miami and quickly won over visitors.
She wasn't just a biological mom. Kashifa also adopted the orphaned cub of her sister and raised him successfully.
Zoo Miami says it's privileged to have been the home to the matriarch lioness and her cubs, as they will be her legacy. Zoo Miami says everyone at the zoo is profoundly saddened by the loss of Kashifa.
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