Two elderly animals euthanized at Toronto Zoo, capping a year full of losses

The Toronto Zoo made the difficult decision last week to euthanize two elderly animals whose health was rapidly declining.

In a social media post shared on Saturday, the Zoo announced that it had said goodbye to a 25-year-old spotted hyena named Moja and an 11-year-old American moose who went by Lily.

According to the post, staff noticed Moja was lethargic and weak on Christmas Day. The Zoo noted that his condition rapidly declined, and an emergency procedure was performed. 

“It was determined that euthanasia was warranted given poor prognosis for recovery,” the Zoo wrote. “The typical lifespan of a spotted hyena can range anywhere between 12 to 25 years.”

As for Lily the moose, staff said they began noticing a change in her behaviour and abdominal distention on December 23 and placed her under observation. 

“She was reluctant to move, had an abnormal gait and general malaise. After performing a thorough examination, blood work, and ultrasound, the decision was made to humanely euthanize Lily,” the Zoo added.

Lily was the last moose to call the Zoo home following the death of her sister Trilly in August after “several months of decline.”

At least four other animals died at the Zoo in 2024, as it simultaneously celebrated its 50th anniversary. 

Two-year-old masai giraffe Matu died in July while he was anaesthetized for a castration procedure.

After a necropsy was conducted, the Zoo said the preliminary pathology report found that there were stomach contents in Matu’s lungs.

“The regurgitation of material from the rumen (part of the stomach) is a well-recognized risk when animals that regurgitate their food (such as cows, sheep, deer, and giraffes – all referred to as ruminants) are anaesthetized,” they went on to explain.

Then, in August, one of two red panda cubs born earlier in the spring also died, although not unexpectedly given pandas’ high mortality rate in their first year.

A post-mortem revealed the six-week-old cub had no fat reserve, likely due to reduced milk production from his mother, and an intestinal blockage. There were also signs of aspiration in the lungs, which officials say is not uncommon when syringe supplementing newborns.

A few weeks later, the Zoo also said goodbye to the cub’s 10-year-old mother, Sakura, who died from cardiac arrest in August after months of health challenges.

Then in October, Charles, a 52-year-old silverback gorilla, died from natural causes after experiencing significant health issues. He was one of the Zoo’s original animals and had resided there since opening day in 1974.

Officials say special consideration is given to animals at various stages of their lives. 

“This adaptive care is exemplified by the ongoing work being done by our teams,” the Zoo wrote. “Losing two long-term residents like Moja and Lily is difficult.”

“We’re thankful for the significant contribution and impact they have made as ambassadors for their species in the wild,” the Zoo added.