The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo announced Thursday that Bill the Lion has died, just one week after the zoo announced he had an aggressive form of cancer.
Zoo staff first noticed problems with Bill’s health in fall of 2015 when his nose started bleeding and he lost his appetite.
Zoo spokeswoman Bridget Pearson says she’s seen the community come together since Bill was diagnosed.
“With the outpouring of love we’ve seen on social media, as well as the cards that have been sent in to our staff, it’s very clear that Bill has played a really important role in a lot of the lives of the families in our community,” Pearson said.
In his final days, he was given his favorite foods, like ground chuck. Ina, the zoo’s lioness, was beside him almost the whole time. As his health continued to decline, zoo officials made the decision to euthanize him.
Bill’s 10th birthday would have been in July of this year. According to the Zoo’s website, 4.4 million guests visited the zoo since his arrival in December 2008.
The zoo is encouraging everyone to send pictures or memories to the zoo, or share it on the zoo’s Facebook page.
The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo opens for the summer on April 23.
