Captive Lion and Tiger weights

[Dark Jaguar]

181 kilos Captive african male Lion called Lionel from L.A. Zoo  https://www.lazoo.org/blog/2018/08/07/the-mane-event/

This article originally ran in the Spring 2002 issue of Zoo View, the quarterly publication of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.


A dedicated veterinary team takes advantage of the Zoo’s brand-new Animal Health and Conservation Center to treat a lion’s lameness and unexplained weight loss.

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''Lionel, a 14-year-old lion who has lived at the Los Angeles Zoo since 1997, lay immobilized and vulnerable on an examination table, the great beast’s muzzle tethered to prevent a breathing tube from falling out. The tube carried a gentle mix of isoflurane and oxygen, just enough to keep the 400-pound ( 181kg ) member of the order Carnivora peacefully unaware of the team of humans working hurriedly but with focused determination all around him.''

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The team of veterinarians, keepers, and specialists intently collected evidence as they tried to solve the current medical mystery at hand: What was the source, or sources, of the lion’s lameness? Doctors were also interested in learning what was behind Lionel’s decreased appetite and resulting weight loss.

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Weight loss:

And what about the dropping of 43 pounds from Lionel’s 404-pound frame? A blood test result suggests a deficiency in digestive enzymes, according to Dr. Wynne, which can be treated with supplemental enzymes. Though the new health center and its equipment is a huge improvement over the old, Dr. Wynne still has an equine endoscope on her wish list.

“The human endoscope that we used on Lionel simply doesn’t reach far enough to get a biopsy of his small intestine,” said Wynne. “So we can’t rule out an intestinal disease.”




As Dr. Janna Wynne (right) inserts the tube that will keep Lionel immobile, everyone pitches in to lift the 400-pound ( 181 kg ) animal into the van. Photo by Bruce Gelvin.

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In the meantime, Lionel will follow a course of arthritis medication and digestive enzyme therapy, and lots and lots of observation and care from his keepers and doctors. Thanks to their dedication—and the incredible improvements in treatment that the new Animal Health and Conservation Center makes possible—Lionel and his fellow Zoo residents will have the best care possible.



Everyone plays a vital role in examinations where time is of the essence. The less time an animal spends under anesthesia, the lower the risk. Photo by Bruce Gelvin.

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Dr. Cooper checks the anesthesia tube to make sure it is secure. Photo by Bruce Gelvin.

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*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Learn more about Lionel here: https://www.lazoo.org/blog/2018/08/07/the-mane-event/

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