One of the most popular animal ambassadors at a South Coast Zoo has died.
Chadwick was a male African lion that lived at the Santa Barbara Zoo for 17 of his 21 years.
He was the oldest pedigreed lion living at an accredited facility. At 21, he outlived the average life expectancy of a lion in captivity by about four years.
The lion had been facing a number of age related health issues during the last two years, including a painful degenerative spinal disease. Because of his deteriorating condition, and ongoing pain, the decision was made to euthanize him.
During his time at the zoo, he fathered two lions. His mate, Gingerbread, died in 2017.
