A 17-year-old lion became overheated and died last week in North Carolina as a scorching heat wave gripped much of the central U.S. and East Coast in boiling temperatures.

The staff reacted quickly, giving Sheba the lion IV fluids and other therapies, Carolina Tiger Rescue said in a statement. Despite the staff’s day-long battle to cool her down, her liver and kidneys couldn't recover.

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"After working for so long to try to bring her back, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to let her go," the statement said.

Sheba was the matriarch of a pride of three lions that came from Texas, the sanctuary said. She was remembered for keeping the two males, Sebastian and Tarzan, “in line.”

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“While Sebastian and Tarzan hold a special place in my heart as the more delicate members of the pride, Sheba will also stand out to me as the epitome of what it means to be a lion – strong, confident, and smart,” the sanctuary said.

Carolina Tiger Rescue is a non-profit organization that rescues and protects wild cats in captivity and in the wild, according to its website.

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Lions are classified as a vulnerable species. The animals can live into their early 20s in captivity, while in the wild females can live up to the age of 16, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Wild lions are now mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, although there’s one small population that has survived in India’s Gir Forest, according to National Geographic.