Serai, part of first clouded leopard pair to call Sacramento Zoo home, dies at 14
A female clouded leopard, among the first of its species to reside at Sacramento Zoo when she arrived with her male counterpart earlier this year, has died, Sacramento Zoo officials said Friday.
Serai was 14 years old, an age, zoo officials said, in the later stage of a clouded leopard’s life expectancy. She was born May 13, 2011, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia.
The big cat, along with male clouded leopard Rajasi, had resided for nearly a year at the Land Park zoo, but had been in poor health since the summer. Zoo staffers euthanized the clouded leopard Sept. 29.
“Our animal care team and vet team worked around the clock throughout Serai’s health journey, pouring an incredible amount of time, energy, and heart into her care,” zoo officials said in a statement Friday announcing the leopard’s death. “Serai will be deeply missed by all who knew her and worked with her. Please keep her keepers and our vet team in your thoughts during this difficult time.”
Zoo officials said Serai had experienced health issues since July after zoo animal care staff noticed muscle twitching that affected her balance and that she was behaving abnormally.
Zoo veterinarians examined Serai and found a mass associated with her parathyroid gland, zoo officials explained, that caused abnormal horome function and kidney damage. Zoo vets and animal care staff teamed with UC Davis veterinary specialists who were able to remove the mass, but the clouded leopard continued to show some of the symptoms she had before the surgery.
Serai recovered outside public view and was separated from male Rajasi for several months, rehabilitating with hopes of regaining strength and balance, zoo officials said.
But the big cat suffered a severe setback just days ago in September. Zoo staff found Serai with a wound to her front leg so serious that veterinarians would have been forced to amputate the limb.
“An amputation would have severely hindered her quality of life,” zoo officials said in the statement. “With respect for her quality of life guiding us, the difficult but compassionate decision was made to euthanize her.”
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