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21-Year-Old Lioness Euthanized at Smithsonian’s National Zoo After Health Decline
Smithsonian’s National Zoo staff euthanized Shera on Thursday after the lioness, one of the two oldest in accredited U.S. zoos, lost mobility due to muscle loss and osteoarthritis. Born in South Africa in 2004, Shera outlived the average captive lion lifespan and produced eight cubs whose descendants now number 50 across American facilities.
May 9, 1:20 PM·1m read1 source
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Staff at Smithsonian’s National Zoo euthanized Shera on Thursday. The 21-year-old lioness had lived at the zoo since 2006. At the time of her death, Shera was one of the two oldest lions living at American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
’s zoo said in an announcement. U.S. zoo is a 22-year-old lioness named Asante in Topeka, Kansas, according to WIBW-TV. As Shera aged, she suffered from muscle loss and osteoarthritis, becoming slower, weaker and less sure-footed.
National Zoo staff decided to euthanize Shera before she would suffer debilitating pain. Shera was born on a private reserve in South Africa in 2004 and moved to the National Zoo two years later. At the time she arrived, Shera’s genes were not represented in any of America’s zoos.
She gave birth to eight cubs across two litters in 2010 and 2014, and several of Shera’s cubs were transferred elsewhere for breeding and research at other zoos. After the last of her female cubs moved to another zoo, Shera bonded more with her human keepers. She watched the group during staff meetings and chimed in with roars.
Geriatric care required considerable time spent managing Shera with extra TLC, and she loved the attention. “Shera was adored and will be greatly missed,” Leigh Pitsko, assistant curator of the zoo’s great cats, said in the announcement.
U.S. Zoos. Two of Shera’s and Luke’s male offspring, Shaka and Jumbe, are living at the National Zoo. com reported the details of Shera’s life, health decline and legacy on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
