Kansas City Zoo's oldest lion euthanized

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Kansas City Zoo's oldest lion has been euthanized after veterinary staffers were unable to treat him successfully for numerous health issues.

The Kansas City Star reports the lion, named Dumisani, was 18 years old and had lived at the zoo nearly his entire life after arriving in 1997 from Indianapolis.

Dumisani's parents were from the wild, making his genes desirable for breeding. The zoo brought in two females from Africa in 1998 to diversify the gene pool, but the lions had feline immunodeficiency virus and were not suitable for breeding.

Officials allowed one litter to be produced before the females underwent a contraceptive procedure, but one of them became pregnant anyway.

Dumisana sired seven cubs in the two litters, creating one of the largest prides among American zoos.