

Given her advanced age and the severity of her condition, the vet and caretaker teams decided to humanely euthanize her. The next day, the veterinary team decided to perform an emergency examination when it seemed that Bridget was in pain.ĭuring the exam, the team discovered an excess amount of fluid buildup around Bridget’s heart, which is indicative of heart failure or infection. The Oklahoma City Zoo said that caretakers noticed that Bridget seemed lethargic and showed no interest in eating or training on Tuesday morning. Sadly, zoo officials announced that Bridget died on Wednesday evening. However, they didn’t think her condition would affect her quality of life.

Androstenedione is actually a precursor to testosterone, which is the cause for mane growth in male lions.ĭ’Agostino said that Bridget may have a small benign tumor in her adrenal gland, which was leading to the increased hormones. In addition, the small size compared to other members could be another identification guide, as a lioness ranges from 140 to 175 centimetres in length and their maximum bodyweight could be 190 kilograms. A century or two ago, biologists like Charles Darwin postulated that lions grew a thick mane of. Lioness never grows a mane, and it could be used to identify a particular individual as a female. Veterinarians found that Bridget has elevated levels of two different hormones- cortisol and androstenedione. Much like the defining features on many animals, a lion's mane is all about attracting the ladies. Jennifer D’Agostino, the director of veterinary services at the zoo, announced that the medical mystery was solved. However, it is extremely rare for a female lion to grow a mane. Male lions usually begin growing a mane when they are about 1-year-old, which is when they begin producing more testosterone. In February, zoo officials said they were looking into why Bridget, the zoo’s 18-year-old African lioness, had suddenly spouted a mini-mane. OKLAHOMA CITY – An African lioness who stunned crowds at the Oklahoma City Zoo after she grew a small mane has died. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Bridget the lioness, an 18-year-old African lioness that mysteriously sprouted a mane last year has died, the Oklahoma City Zoo says. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated.
