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Adelaide Zoo announced today “with an extremely heavy heart” that following a medical episode of African male Mujambi, they made the decision to humanely euthanise both Mujambi (19) and his partner, female Amani (23).

Over the weekend, Mujambi’s health deteriorated and despite the best care by Adelaide Zoo’s veterinary team, the difficult decision was made for him to be euthanised. Amani was then put to sleep shortly after as the Zoo’s veterinary team considered the negative welfare and aspects of her life without Mujambi were determined to outweigh any positives of remaining alone.

Adelaide Zoo director, Dr Phil Ainsley, said the lions had been a bonded pair for 16 years after Amani arrived in 2002 and Mujambi in 2007.

Dr Ainsley advised “choosing when it is the right to say goodbye to an animal is a hardship but also a blessing. As well as the complex ethics surrounding euthanasia, and Zoos SA’s commitment to ensuring the best welfare outcome for animals in our care, we also have to consider species-specific behaviour.

“In the case of lions, they are a social species, and the likelihood of safely moving or integrating Amani into another pride or environment was considered too risky and stress provoking.”

Amani was the oldest lioness in Australia, recently turning 23. Amani’s keepers held a birthday party to mark her big day with members and volunteers turning up to watch her demolish enrichment items created by Adelaide Zoo’s BEEZA team.

Male lion, Mujambi, turned 19 in March and was a handsome lion with a beautiful mane, albeit thinning in his old age.

Deb Barry, Curator of Adelaide Zoo added “Amani, despite appearances, was very closely bonded to Mujambi. Yes, she swiped at him, growled and bossed him around, but she also wanted to be no further away from him than his shadow.

“Our keepers are extremely sad. They’ve spent years caring for Amani and Mujambi. Their care has meant both lions lived to significant ages, well beyond the usual life expectancy. In the wild, African Lions live to around 15 years of age. Under human care in a zoo or safari park setting, lions can live into their early 20s. At 23 and 19 both lions were in the latter stages of their lives.

“Working with Amani and Mujambi has been an honour. Amani was a fierce lioness. Even in her later years, she would snarl, pounce and rip at her meat. While she was the dominant of the two, she sought out Mujambi as if it was her role to keep a watchful eye on him. She’d regularly tell him off but in her next breath cosy up alongside him.

“Despite being a strapping lion with a full black mane, in his youth, Mujambi would tread carefully around Amani. He was an extremely handsome lion, in fact, he was the poster lion for Adelaide Zoo and sister site Monarto Safari Park.

“Mujambi, or Muj as he was known by his keepers, could regularly be heard chuffing at helicopters and planes overhead and liked to start the morning with a chorus. His chuffs would often wake up the zoo. We will really miss that sound.”

Understandably, the entire team at Adelaide Zoo is saddened by today’s news.

Adelaide Zoo looks set to remain without lions for some time, with previously developed plans for a $10 million new habitat currently unfunded.

However, the zoo plans to turn the enclosure that housed Amani and Mujambi into an expanded area for its Sumatran tigers.

The Adelaide Zoo team advised they will be marking the passing of Amani and Mujambi in the future to celebrate “the impact they have had on us all and, importantly, on the conservation of their wild cousins.”

Images. Credit: Adelaide Zoo

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