Via tucson.com: Lion Bakko, nearly 2, dies at Reid Park Zoo. Excerpt:
Bakko — one of the male lions born at Reid Park Zoo in December 2013 — died Wednesday night of issues related to valley fever and kidney disease, said the zoo's veterinarian.
"He was diagnosed this summer with valley fever and kidney disease and was treated aggressively for months," said veterinarian Alexis Moreno. The treatment included a combination of oral medication and IVs of medications and fluids, Moreno said.
It was not known if the valley fever brought on the kidney disease. "It could have been two separate conditions," said Moreno.
The University of Arizona in partnership with veterinarians from the zoo conducted a necropsy, which revealed that Bakko "had significant inflammation and ulceration throughout his stomach," according to officials. Further results are pending tissue sample tests.
All of Bakko's treatment took place at the zoo, and he was not in isolation. He was kept with his brothers, Jelani and Sango, and his sister, Nayo, because they do better with companionship, explained Moreno. Their mother is Kaya and their father is Shombay.
Valley fever is not contagious among animals. Animals get it from the environment. "It is a fungus that lives in the soil everywhere in Southern Arizona, so you really can't avoid exposure to valley fever," said Moreno.
