Little Rock Zoo lioness euthanized after health deteriorates

Sidney, the 22-year-old lioness, died Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, at the Little Rock Zoo.
Sidney, the 22-year-old lioness, died Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, at the Little Rock Zoo.

The Little Rock Zoo’s oldest lioness was euthanized over the weekend after the continued deterioration of the animal’s health, officials said Tuesday.

In a news release, the zoo said 22-year-old Sidney was put down Sunday morning when a corneal graft on her eye began to worsen.

Sidney had preventative surgery on her eyes at the time she was diagnosed with corneal degeneration, or a thinning of the cornea, in January, said zoo veterinarian Sarah Kline.

In September, a corneal perforation or rupture on the lioness' left eye was repaired, she said.

“At that time we realized she also had blood work indicating progressive kidney and liver disease,” Kline said in a statement. “This is a common finding in both domestic and exotic older cats.”

The lioness came to Arkansas’ capital city in 2000 as a result of a donation from the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo.

Debbie Thompson, curator of carnivores at the zoo, said another lioness is expected to join 10-year-old lion Bakari, who came to Little Rock in 2009, "in the near future."

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