News Briefs

Oregon Zoo says goodbye to long-lived African lion, Kya

KLCC

Published June 17, 2026 at 7:00 AM PDT

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The Oregon Zoo today bid farewell to Kya, the oldest of its African lion pride. Conservationists say the beloved lion’s legacy is hope for a species considered vulnerable in the wild.

Michael Durham / courtesy of the Oregon Zoo

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Oregon Zoo lion Kya cares for one of her cubs in 2014. Conservationists say the lion gave millions of guests a ‘sense of wonder and connection.’

Michael Durham / courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

The oldest lion at the Oregon Zoo has died. Kya was a few months shy of 19 years old, the zoo announced in a press release. She was considered geriatric for an African lion.

African lions are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and could face extinction within the next 25 years.

Kya had been at the Oregon Zoo since 2009. She gave birth to cubs there in 2014. Two of her offspring — Mashavu and Niara — are still at the Oregon Zoo.