Chadwick, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Elderly Lion, Has Died
21-Year-Old African Lion Euthanized Thursday Due to Deteriorating Condition, Advanced Age
Chadwick, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s male African lion, was humanely euthanized Thursday morning after battling a degenerative illness, officials announced.
“Chadwick has been dealing with health issues associated with his advancing age for several years,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, Vice President of Animal Care & Health. “Two weeks ago he developed lameness in his right forelimb, which rapidly progressed to generalized pain that we suspected was associated with spinal changes. He did not respond to multiple treatments for pain relief. Three days ago, we performed a CT scan, which confirmed our suspicion that he had progression of degenerative spinal disease, which is common in geriatric carnivores. Based on his deteriorating condition and his advanced age, the decision was made for humane euthanasia.”
The mean life expectancy for lions in captivity is 16.9 years. Chadwick was 21. He was born at the Indianapolis Zoo in 1998 and arrived in Santa Barbara in 2003. He shared his enclosure with female lion Gingerbread, with whom he sired two offspring ― Kiki and Docha ― during their 14 years together.
