The long tradition of lions roaring at the San Francisco Zoo, sometimes heard by neighbors in the Outer Sunset, will come to an end when the last two big cats are transferred out, as soon as a new home can be found.
The lion house, built in 1935, is expected to be remodeled as a home for two giant pandas which the zoo hopes to get from China. Those bears were originally expected to arrive last month but the deal has stalled.
Though the plan to bring pandas to San Francisco could still fall through, zoo management has made the decision not to upgrade the lion house to meet the needs of its aging residents: Marvella, an 11-year-old female that arrived from St. Louis in 2023 and Jasiri, a 10-year-old male born at the San Francisco Zoo. Lions under human care normally live 15 years. Jasiri suffers from a congenital spinal condition that has required ongoing physical therapy and is one reason for the move…