The Denver Zoo had to say goodbye Thursday afternoon to Lisu — the zoo’s female clouded leopard — after she made Colorado her home for about 13 years.
“Lisu had several medical conditions our Animal Care and Veterinary Medicine teams were managing, and after a significant decline in her health over the last two weeks, our team made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Lisu,” the zoo said in a statement released Thursday.
Lisu was born in the Nashville Zoo on March 19, 2011, but she spent most of her life in Denver after arriving in the city for the opening of Toyota Elephant Passage as a cub, zoo officials said.
The 13-year-old leopard could often be found snoozing in a hollow log or lounging up high in the exhibit, tucked away behind the trees, zoo officials said in a 2022 spotlight.
When she turned 10, the zoo celebrated with a luau-themed birthday party and plenty of elk venison treats — Lisa had a rare allergy to several kinds of meat and a restricted diet.
During her time at the zoo, the clouded leopard gave birth to two cubs and developed special bonds with both her care team and countless guests, zoo officials said Thursday.
“Lisu was a special soul,” animal care specialist Erik Bowker said in the zoo’s social media statement. “When I started working with her, I felt an instant bond … Lisu became a bright spot in my world. She was a love bug, showing much affection for her keepers, requiring our undivided attention, even if it meant dropping everything we were doing to provide it.”
The leopard was dubbed “Princess Lisu” by zookeepers because the spots on her head formed a perfect tiara and the nickname fit her personality, zoo officials said.
“Lisu was the type of cat that could make you smile no matter what kind of day you were having,” another member of Lisu’s care team wrote in the social media post. “She was feisty, opinionated, and just an all-around amazing clouded leopard. I have been so touched seeing how much her health story has resonated with our community here in Denver and across the country.”
Zookeepers who worked with Lisu remember fondly how chatty the cat was, saying it felt like they were constantly having conversations in meows — even if they didn’t fully understand each other, according to the zoo’s Thursday statement.
“We’re heartbroken to say goodbye to Lisu and know that this beloved member of our animal family will be greatly missed by all those who had the pleasure of knowing her,” zoo officials said in Thursday’s statement, inviting guests to share their favorite memories and photos of Lisu on the social media post.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
