Aging white lion at Cincinnati Zoo euthanized over poor health; was gift from Seigfried & Roy

CINCINNATI – An aging white lion given to the Cincinnati Zoo by performers Seigfried & Roy had to be euthanized because of age-related health issues.

The zoo says Future — one of two male African white lions loaned permanently by Siegfried and Roy in 1998 — was put down Thursday. He was 17 years old and struggled to walk in recent days.

Mark Campbell, the zoo’s director of animal health, says it was the humane thing to do. The average lifespan for lions in North American zoos is nearly 17 years.

Future and his brother, named Sunshine, came to the Cincinnati Zoo when they were 3 months old. They are considered a threatened species.