Hubert and Kalisa spent a lot of time together in the L.A. zoo, now they were put to sleep together due to illness. In the video you can see why not only zoo visitors will miss the two.
You couldn't see it from Hubert and Kalisa: until the end, both looked like strong, indomitable predators that could not be disturbed by anything. But unfortunately the truth was different: Both animals had grown so old and weak that a veterinarian had no other option than to put them to sleep when the two were ill.
Almost a record age
Both lions had become real figureheads for the zoo. The animals visibly felt well and reached an age that hardly any lion is otherwise allowed to. Hubert was born in 1999, Kalisa in 1998. For comparison: Lions usually live around 15 to 17 years old, according to the zoo. Zoo director Denise Verret is deeply saddened that the two animals have now been put to sleep. "The fact that they were able to live for so long is a sign of how well our doctors can take care of the older animals," she said in a statement. "These lions will always be a beautiful part of our history and we will miss them very much."