Female Lion Kills Male Lion in Indiana Zoo: Reports

Female Lion Kills Male Lion in Indiana Zoo: Reports
The Indianapolis Zoo said that a lion died on Oct. 15, 2018, from injuries he sustained in a fight with a female lion at an enclosure. Facebook
Jack Phillips
Updated:

The Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana said that a lion died on Oct. 15 from injuries he sustained in a fight with a female lion at an enclosure.

The lion, Nyack, died in the outdoor yard, WTHR reported. It was 10 years old, the report said.

A zoo employee said that they saw a female lion, Zuri, being aggressive with Nyack. They also noted an unusual amount of roaring.

A lion’s roar can be heard for miles. But below Nyack is letting his pride know where he is in the zoo with much quieter vocalizations.

Staff tried to break up the lions, but they were not successful. Zuri held Nyack by the neck until the lion apparently stopped moving, according to the Indianapolis Star.

After a necropsy, officials confirmed that Nyack died of suffocation due to injuries to its neck.

The Indianapolis Star reported that the female lion had its cubs. In 2015, Nyack and Zuri had three cubs, and the two had lived together for eight years.

“Detailed daily logs maintained by the animal care staff did not report any unusual aggression, injuries or wounds between Zuri and Nyack prior to Monday’s incident,” officials said.

The lion died before the zoo was open to the public for the day, the Star reported.

Officials will now investigate how the incident unfolded. There are no plans to change how the lions are managed at the zoo, the Star reported.

The zoo added that Nyack “was a magnificent lion and he will be greatly missed.”

Tiger Cage Breach

In a separate incident this week, at a zoo in California, a man was recorded climbing over a barrier to grab something near a tiger’s cage (seen in the top video).

“He was on a viewing deck, and it has a 42-inch rail,” said Joel Parrott, CEO and president of the Oakland Zoo, ABC7 reported. “The chain link fence keeps the tiger in, but then sometimes they think they can pet the tiger in which case the fingers go through the mesh and that’s when it can get dangerous for the public.”

“You cannot design for irresponsible and stupid behavior,” concluded Parrott.

“The Oakland zoo meets and exceeds safety requirements set by state, federal, and AZA accreditation standards,” Erin Dogan Harrison told KTVU in a statement on Oct. 17. “We hope that all of our visitors act responsibly, and don’t attempt to put themselves in potentially unsafe situations. We thank the zoo guests that reacted to this individual’s actions when it occurred and alerting us.”
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Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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