Cincinnati Zoo announces death of its last white lion, Gracious

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden announced the death of its white lion, Gracious.

Gracious, who was almost 21-years-old, was humanely euthanized on Tuesday, according to a social media post. She was the last of her kind to live at the zoo.

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According to the zoo, Gracious was considered a geriatric animal and her quality of life was closely monitored

“Her health began to decline and when she lost interest in her favorite food, meatballs, her care team knew it was time to say goodbye,” the zoo said.

The zoo said she lived five years longer than the median life expectancy for her species, which can be attributed to the special geriatric enrichment, diet, and care that she received from her care team, some of whom had cared for her since she was born.

“This loss is especially tough for them,” the zoo said.

Gracious was the daughter of Prosperity, who was brought to the Zoo in 1998 by Siegfried and Roy. Prosperity died in 2020.

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