Grand Rapids' John Ball Zoo Announces Death of Lioness
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids says an African lioness known for interacting with visitors has died.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Bakari, our 12-year-old female African lion. As we had posted this past March, Bakari had been diagnosed with lymphoma at the end of last year. Read more about Bakari and her legacy here at the Zoo: https://t.co/d081nQSi0t pic.twitter.com/0vxUCSBGrl
— John Ball Zoo (@JBZOOGR) April 2, 2019
The zoo announced Tuesday that 12-year-old Bakari took a sudden downturn and died Monday, apparently from lymphoma.
The zoo says Bakari received 15 weeks of chemotherapy after the discovery of lymphoma in late 2018, and follow-up exams revealed no evidence of cancer.
During a physical, our vet staff noticed a mass on the neck of one of our female lions. After further examination and testing, Bakari was given the diagnosis of lymphoma. After 15 weeks of chemo, it appears that there is no evidence of cancer. Read more: https://t.co/5CJjk0e0Vj pic.twitter.com/Afi5U48uLa
— John Ball Zoo (@JBZOOGR) March 22, 2019
Bakari was born at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 2006 and moved to the John Ball Zoo with her sister, Abena, in 2008. Bakari often could be found spending afternoons close to a visitor widow interacting with guests.
The average lifespan of an African lion is 10-14 years.
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