‘Strong and independent’ lioness known for growing her own mane dies at Kansas zoo

After Avus the male lion died at the Topeka Zoo in Kansas, it wasn’t long before a lioness named Zuri began to grow her own mane.

“We were like, ‘Oh, weird, you know, Zuri’s getting a mohawk,’” animal curator Shanna Simpson told NPR. “And then she started to really grow the fur around her neck. We were like, ‘Holy moly, Zuri is growing a mane.’”

Following Avus’ death in 2020, Zuri quickly became known as the female lion with a mane.

She, however, wasn’t the first female to grow a quasi-mane. This occurrence has been documented in the wild and in zoos, according to the Topeka Zoo.

And although Zuri may not have started to look like the leader of the three-lion pride until after Avus’ death, she was always known for being a “strong, dominant, feisty lioness.”

Zuri “pretty much ran the pride, even when Avus was around,” Simpson said in a Facebook post.

Her leadership continued when the Topeka Zoo welcomed its first male lion since Avus’ death — Tatu, a 4-year-old from the Denver Zoo, on April 13.

Zuri and her sister Asante “definitely showed Tatu who are the bosses around here,” the Topeka Zoo said, though the zoo promised to share updates as the staffers “discover what happens with Zuri’s mane.”

But about two weeks later, on May 4, the Topeka Zoo announced the death of Zuri, the 19-year-old “beloved lioness.”

“Over the past few months Zuri had been closely monitored due to the risk of kidney failure, a common ailment for geriatric cats of her age,” the zoo said. “A month ago, Zuri started experiencing increased symptoms, which accelerated in the past few days.”

On May 3, during a veterinary exam, staff confirmed that she was experiencing kidney failure. Zuri was then humanely euthanized.

“Zuri was truly a lioness in charge, and her strong and independent personality was evident to all who knew her,” Simpson said on Facebook. “Zuri has always been a star in our hearts and we will miss her tremendously.”

Asante 19, is also experiencing “age-related challenges” as she is also older than the African lion median life expectancy, according to the zoo.

“Especially because of the bond she shared with her sister, we will be extra attentive to Asante’s needs for the foreseeable future,” the zoo said.

The Topeka Zoo said Tatu is a key part in establishing a new pride of lions.

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