KC Zoo mourns elephant with spunky personality who loved to eat snacks, soak staff
The Kansas City Zoo announced Wednesday they are mourning the loss of a beloved elephant who had lived in Kansas City for decades.
Lois, a 47-year-old African elephant, came to the Kansas City Zoo in 1982 when she was around four years old with another African elephant named Lea, who still lives at the zoo, according to a news release.
“Lois was a beloved ambassador for her endangered species and helped to inspire the Zoo’s conservation efforts to save elephants and other wildlife through programs in Zambia and South Africa,” the release said. “Lois will be dearly missed by all her Zoo family, including staff, volunteers, and guests.”
According to the zoo, Lois had issues with her joints and one of her hind legs 15 years ago, which would’ve typically been fatal, but the care provided at the zoo gave her more years. Recently though, Lois had been experiencing more challenges with movement and didn’t respond to additional treatment options, which lead to the decision to euthanize her Tuesday due to concerns about her quality of life.
“...her long life is really a testament to the excellent care of the Zoo’s animal care and veterinary health teams. Lois was beloved by Zoo staff and guests, and most easily identified by her pointed left tusk and red hair on top of her head,” the zoo said in a release.
The zoo added Lois had a strong will and a spunky personality and loved snacks and attention. Her favorite game was to shower caregivers with water, soaking them, their supplies and paperwork in the process.
“Those early morning showers will be remembered fondly,” zoo officials said in the release .
The zoo is home to eight elephants, four of which are considered geriatric like Lois was, according to the release. Lady is the oldest African elephant in North America at 57-years-old.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 1:32 PM.
