Virginia Zoo says goodbye to senior American bison, Lily

 It is with a heavy heart that we are sharing the passing of our sole senior female American bison, Lily (27), on Thursday, May 14, following a routine veterinary procedure. Sadly, she experienced life-threatening complications during her recovery, so her care and veterinary teams decided that the most compassionate next step was to proceed with humane euthanasia. 

Born at Lehigh Valley Zoo in 1998, Lily has lived at the Virginia Zoo since 2000. In 2001, Lily gave birth to her only offspring, a female bison named Akousua, who lived out her life at Maymont in Richmond. Keepers said that Lily always had a calm, confident demeanor and a sassy personality. Her favorite enrichment activities were knocking down barrels and cooling off in her mud wallow during the summer.  

“Lily had a strong spirit. She was very smart and loved showing keepers who was boss. I have great memories of running laps with her around the yard and then calling her in the former habitat. She would magically appear from the brush without a sound for such a massive animal. She definitely made an impact and will always be remembered in our hearts as one of those animals none of us will ever forget. It was an honor to be her caregiver,” remembered Martha Hamilton, Curator of ZooFarm and North America.  

Wild bison have a life expectancy of 10-20 years, while bison in human care can exceed 25 years of age. At the time of her passing, Lily was one of the oldest bison across the Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos.  

In January 2025, thanks to an amazing team effort by Zoo staff, Lily was moved from her previous exhibit to her new habitat in Flora Point. This transition marked a new chapter for the Virginia Zoo by making way for the soon-to-be Macon and Joan Brock Edventure and Exploration Campus, as well as creating a unique waterfront animal habitat in an area largely dedicated to gardens. Her care team said Lily thrived in this new space and loved watching the birds fly across the water. Lily was a symbol of that new beginning, revered by many as a cornerstone of the Virginia Zoo. With almost 28 years of service as an ambassador for her species and consistently beating the odds of survival statistics, this loss is especially difficult for the Zoo team. 

Her keeper Jake Bordeaux shared, “Lily was my favorite animal I’ve worked with. As an intern, it was always a privilege to be included or asked to help with bison husbandry, and as I transitioned into a full-time keeper she was still my favorite husbandry to do – even on the days it was pouring rain, and she looked just as over it as I was! Lily taught me so many skills on how to be a zookeeper, how to work with dangerous animals, how to do a behind-the-scenes tour, how to think about all aspects in exhibit design, and most importantly, how to throw a great birthday party. My favorite memories of her will always be the birthdays we threw her from making a miniature bison out of browse and boxes, to making a giant hay-filled cardboard cake, to even making a cardboard car for her when she turned 25 and “could legally rent a car”. Lily was the best and taught me so much about being a zookeeper. I’m so grateful for her and I’m going to miss that Fluffy Cow.” 

The Virginia Zoo will be celebrating Lily’s life and honoring her memory this Memorial Day weekend by handing out American bison trading cards featuring Lily throughout the park Saturday – Monday. We invite our community to come out to collect a card from any staff or volunteer and learn about Lily’s life and species.
Check out the Virginia Zoo website’s Event Calendar for additional Memorial Day discounts, deals, and activities, including 25 on the 25th. Link: https://virginiazoo.org/event/memorial-day-weekend-at-the-zoo/

About American Bison: 

American bison are the national mammal of the United States, and they represent one of the greatest conservation success stories. Historically, an estimated 30 to 60 million American bison roamed the plains of North America. Due to excessive, unregulated hunting throughout the 1800s, these animals nearly went extinct. In 1889, only about 500 plains bison remained. Today, American bison are considered Near Threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. There are approximately 500,000 bison in the United States today, but most of them are owned privately and raised as livestock. Only about 30,000 bison remain in conservation herds. 

Photo Credit: Elgin Green – Lily American bison in her new habitat in 2025.

American bision Virginia Zoo trading card featuring Lily will be handed out throughout the Zoo May 23 – May 25, 2026 to honor her memory.

Lily, American bison in the original bison habitat at the Virginia Zoo in 2009.

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