FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 2, 2008)

DALLAS ZOO MOURNS PASSING OF BORIS THE LION

June 13, 1990 - April 2, 2008

Zookeepers, staff, and volunteers of the Dallas Zoo are mourning the death of Boris the lion, a beloved member of the Zoo’s animal collection for 11 years.

Although the 415-pound African lion had been in good health his entire life, zookeepers noticed some unusual behavior and signs of discomfort over the past week. Zoo veterinarians anesthetized the lion and radiographs indicated a large mass pressing against the lion’s stomach and lungs as well as fluid in the chest cavity. The mass was believed to be cancerous, pending results of a necropsy. He also had multiple growths in his thorax as well as in his abdomen. Due to the lion’s compromised lung capacity, he was unable to recover from sedation.

“Boris was one of the most popular animals at the Zoo,” said Gregg Hudson, executive director of the Dallas Zoo and The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park. “We can never replace Boris, but we have every intention of bringing lions back to the Dallas Zoo in the future, once we have completed our African savanna exhibit.”

Boris was born at the Houston Zoo on June 13, 1990 and came to Dallas in April 1997. The average life expectancy for lions in the wild is approximately 15 years. More than 100,000 visitors were able to visit Boris at the Dallas Zoo last month, due in large part to spring break crowds and pleasant weather.