Male lion killed by mother of its cubs

The zoo says a 10-year-old male African lion, Nyack, died Monday morning, after it was hurt by a female lion named Zuri. Zuri was OK.

Animal care staff heard “an unusual amount” of roaring from the outdoor lion yard, the zoo said in a news release. They responded and saw Zuri being aggressive with Nyack in the presence of the lions’ 3-year-old daughter, Sukari.

Zoo workers tried to break up the lions, but were unsuccessful. Zuri held Nyack by the neck until the lion stopped moving, according to the release.

A necropsy found that Nyack died of suffocation from injuries to the neck. The lion was killed before the zoo was open to the public.

A female lion, Zuri, fatally injured a male lion, Nyack, the Indianapolis Zoo said. (Photo: Provided by Indianapolis Zoo)

Officials will conduct a review to find out what led up to the incident, the zoo said.

Nyack and Zuri had three cubs together in 2015, the zoo said. The lions had lived together for eight years. There was no indication that a violent event would occur, according to the release.

“Detailed daily logs maintained by the animal care staff did not report any unusual aggression, injuries or wounds between Zuri and Nyack prior to Monday’s incident,” the release said.

There are no current plans to change how the lions are managed, the release said.

The zoo says Nyack “was a magnificent lion and he will be greatly missed.”

Follow Crystal Hill on Twitter: @crysnhill

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