“Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that the animal’s quality of life is steadily declining. Despite intensive veterinary treatment, his condition has deteriorated rapidly in recent days,” says veterinarian Dr. Reinhard Pichler, zoological director of Tierwelt Herberstein.

Simba the lion was born on March 15, 2001, in Olomouc, Czech Republic, and arrived in Eastern Styria from Schönbrunn Zoo in February 2004, where he was placed with Brutus, another male lion. He shared a close, friendly bond with his partner until Brutus’s death in the summer of 2016. The duo became a particular favorite with the public, especially during the guided feeding sessions. Tierwelt Managing Director Doris Wolkner-Steinberger also fondly recalls her first encounter with the impressive big cat: “For me, Simba was ‘the king of the animals’ in Herberstein right from the start. That’s why I chose him 13 years ago as the heraldic animal of the Styrian State Zoo.”

Simba spent his final years alone in his enclosure. In the wild, male lions have a life expectancy of up to 12 years. It was a deliberate decision not to subject him to the stress of living with a cub at his advanced age. Yesterday afternoon, his unmistakable roar was heard for the last time before it fell silent forever.

This makes it all the more important for the zoo to continue its active conservation efforts with the pair of Barbary lions, Amira and Caesar, and their “royal offspring.”