Carolina Tiger Rescue announced on Facebook Sunday that one of its beloved lions has sadly died.
The group said Reina hadn't been feeling well, and her bloodwork showed that she had a tooth infection and anemia. It was later discovered that Reina had a jaw infection as well as indications of uncontrolled bleeding and fatty liver disease.
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The rescue group said it would have been difficult to treat Reina effectively.
"When treating wild animals, we are often limited in what we can do medically because the cats have to be willing to participate," Carolina Tiger Rescue said on Facebook. "Given the state of things, we felt it was more kind to let her go."
Assistant Director Kathryn Bertok said Reina was a force to be reckoned with.
"You knew she was the brains of the operation and took her job very seriously," she said in the Facebook post. "From the outside, it may have seemed like Roman was in charge. He’s a big lion, with an amazing mane, but don’t let that fool you. Reina was always in charge, and I loved that about her.
"It is a humbling experience to grieve an animal as wild as Reina. It reminds me of the work yet to be done, both in the US and in the wild. I hope to honor Reina by continuing the fight to have all wild animals treated with respect."