SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A female African lion that lived most of her nearly 18 years at an upstate New York zoo has died.

Officials at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo say the lioness named Kierha died last Sunday. The zoo says the cause of death hasn't been determined, but Kierha had recently been anesthetized for examination and testing "after showing signs of health issues common to elderly female felines."

The average lifespan of a lion in captivity is 17 years.

Kierha and her two siblings, Mindine and Joshua, were born in April 2000 at the Baton Rouge Zoo and arrived in Syracuse as 8-month-old cubs.

Mindine died in 2015 and Joshua passed away the next year. The zoo acquired a male lion from the Bronx Zoo two years ago as a companion for Kierha.

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