Zoo officials say Legend, 14, entered cardiac and respiratory arrest after being removed from anesthesia as veterinarians treated a problem with its paw

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A white lion on loan from the Siegfried and Roy animal and magic act has died after undergoing a medical procedure at the Toledo Zoo.

Zoo officials announced Friday that 14-year-old Legend died after being immobilized for an hour to allow veterinarians to treat problems with one of its paws. Legend went into cardiac and respiratory arrest after being removed from anesthesia.

A zoo veterinarian says in a statement that while there are risks whenever anesthesia is administered, the procedure was necessary for Legend’s quality of life. A necropsy will be performed to determine a cause of death.

The zoo has one other white lion, Legend’s 14-year-old brother Courage. The pair came to the zoo in 2003. A white lion named Wisdom died during surgery at the zoo in 2013.