Zawadi Mungu — the “elder statesman” of the Oregon Zoo’s African lion pride and one of the oldest male lions in North America — died Thursday. In the wild, male lions rarely live past 12 years old, while those living in zoos sometimes make it to their late teens or early 20s. At 18, Zawadi had already been showing signs of aging. Zoo employees had revamped the elder lion’s habitat with ramps, and the veterinary team developed a regimen to strengthen his leg muscles. Still, Zawadi was a favorite among all those who got to know him. Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: oregonzoo #lion #oregonzoo #conservation #wildlifeconservation #zawadimungu #zawadi #threatenedspecies #theoregonian #portland #portlandoregon