Mountain Lion Dies at John Ball Zoo
Incident Date:
04/10/2026
Location:
Grand Rapids, MI - USA
Facility Name:
John Ball Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Big Cats
Animal:
Mountain Lion
Animal disposition:
Dead
Summary:
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A 14-year-old mountain lion at the John Ball Zoo has died.
In a social media post, the zoo wrote that it made the decision to “humanely euthanize” the mountain lion, named Elsa.
“Over the past several weeks, Elsa began showing subtle changes in her health that progressed quickly in recent days,” the zoo wrote. “A comprehensive veterinary exam revealed cancer affecting multiple organs.”
Action take by Born Free USA:
Notes: