15, due to advanced liver and spinal disease,” the zoo said in a Facebook post. The lion that grew up to have an “impressive roar” was born in 2007 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Today, the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park are two of the largest zoos in the world, and Rex the lion lives on in the form of the Rex’s Roar statue that greets visitors at its entrance.

The Oakland Zoo last weekend rescued a trio of orphaned mountain lion cubs out of San Mateo County ... Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San ...

Last year, the San Diego Zoo's float, "It Began With a Roar," also won the Sweepstakes Award. It featured an enormous model of a lion named Rex. Sign up for Essential California for news ...

Sharael Kolberg If you want more of the San Diego Zoo, head about 35 miles north to its Safari Park in Escondido. Here, you can view some of Africa's most beloved animals – including lions ...