Oregon Zoo lion recovering after losing the tip of his tail

Portland, Ore. – A portion of a lion’s tail was severed by a hydraulic door at the Oregon Zoo on Monday morning.

According to the Oregon Zoo, the zoo’s male lion, Zawadi Mungu, is expected to make a full recovery.

The zoo said the injury occurred when the lion was entering a training area. A hydraulic door leading to the outdoors came down and caught his tail.

“He lost the tip of his tail just above the tuft,” said zoo veterinarian Dr. Tim Storms. “For a 450-pound lion, that’s a relatively small injury, but we are treating it seriously. After a brief medical procedure he is recovering well. We expect him to heal without any complications.”

Zoo officials said it wasn’t a serious injury, and Zawadi seems to be recovering well. Animal curator Michael Illig added, “You always feel badly when an animal you care for is hurt. We’ll be reviewing all the details of the situation — from the building to the mechanics to our protocols — in order to make sure this cannot happen again.”