Lincoln Park snow leopard euthanized

Lincoln Park Zoo on Tuesday lost Yiet Yang, an elderly snow leopard and stately dowager of its lion house, when severe weakness from chronic renal failure and increasing lameness in her rear legs led veterinarians to euthanize her. "She has been declining for a number of years," said Robyn Barbiers, the zoo's vice president of collections. "In the last few days she wasn't getting around as well as she should, so keepers on Tuesday coaxed her indoors. She was in such bad shape, she was having trouble getting up and keeping her balance well enough to stand." It was apparent, said Barbiers, who is also a veterinarian, that the animal's condition was so poor that the humane act would be to euthanize her. "She was very old, so we knew it was coming," Barbiers said.

Read More »