Cleo, a 19-year-old African lioness, was euthanized after zoo officials say veterinarians discovered her kidneys were failing. The big cat had called the Sacramento Zoo home since she was just two years old.

The Sacramento Zoo announced the death of Cleo, its 19-year-old African lioness. Zoo officials called Cleo "one of its most cherished and iconic animals." They said over the past few months, Cleo began to show signs of worsening kidney disease.

Cleo and longtime mate, Kamau, who preceded her in death in June 2023, at 16, were perennial favorites at the zoo, no more so than in 2014 when the couple produced a litter of lion cubs. The Sacramento Zoo celebrated the cubs’ first birthday — and the zoo’s 500,000th visitor — the following year.

The Sacramento Zoo is mourning the loss of 19-year-old African lioness Cleo. The zoo made the announcement through an email, Tuesday. The zoo says Cleo was being treated for several health conditions including aging joints and progressive kidney disease.

Zoo staff said Cleo had been battling arthritis and kidney disease in her old age, and when her kidney started to fail, they made the difficult decision to euthanize her.