A lioness has killed the father of her three cubs at the Indianapolis Zoo.
The zoo announced yesterday that 10-year-old male African lion, Nyack, had died after he was injured earlier in the week following a 'physical incident' with female lion Zuri.
According to the MailOnline, zoo staff reported hearing an 'unusual amount of roaring' on Monday morning before the zoo opened to the public.
When staff members arrived at the yard they say the pair were fighting and in an attempt to separate them both they watched as 'Zuri held Nyack by the neck until he stopped moving'.
Advert
A zoo vet said that Nyack died of suffocation from injuries to the neck, according to the necropsy.
Nyack and Zuri were housed together for eight years at the zoo and according to staff logs there were no previous signs of aggression, according to CNN.
They had three cubs together in 2015.
The Indianapolis Zoo announced Nyack's death in a statement on Friday.
Advert
It read: "Our Zoo family is sad to announce that 10-yr-old male African lion Nyack has died. Earlier this week he was injured during a physical incident with female lion Zuri. We will conduct a thorough review to attempt to understand what may have led to this.
"Zuri and the other three lions are all ok. Zuri and Nyack had three cubs together three years ago. Nyack was a magnificent lion and he will be greatly missed. We appreciate the support from our community as we cope with the loss."
Officials at the zoo will conduct a review to find out what led to the incident and there are no plans to change how the lions are managed, the Indy Star reported.
Advert
People have responded to the news on social media. One said: "My heart goes out to all his keepers...past and present..and thank you for taking wonderful care of him for all these years."
Another added: "I loved going to the zoo early in the morning and hearing him roar. I'm sorry to the keepers and everyone who loved Nyack."
And a third commented: "Our family is so sad. Nyack was such a beautiful lion and had such a presence! Our hearts to go out to the zoo and all the staff. He will be missed!"
Advert
RIP Nyack.
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Indianapolis ZooTopics: Death, News, Animals, Lion