A long-term mountain lion resident from the Cameron Park Zoo died on Wednesday.
According to the zoo, Paso died of pneumonia on Jan. 2. The final results from the animal autopsy are still pending.
Paso was born in 2001 and was rescued by the California Fish and Game Service. She was sent to the Cameron Park Zoo in 2003 with her sister Robles. They were unable to be released back into the wild.
She and her sister were the first large mammals acquired for the Brazos River Country expansion which opened in 2005.
The Cameron Park Zoo released a statement on the passing of Paso:
Like many zoos around the world, Cameron Park Zoo cares for a large number of aging animals. As veterinary care and animal husbandry advances, geriatric care is becoming an increasing emphasis at AZA accredited zoos. Cameron Park Zoo opened in 1993 and many of our animals have been here since the zoo opened and are therefore approaching the end of their lifespans. Special care is taken with these aging animals. They are usually on special diets and receive routine medical care and nutritional supplements to help keep them as healthy and comfortable as possible as they age. Although, zoo staff members understand that the increasing age of animals in the collection means they will eventually have to say goodbye, it is still very difficult.
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