Boboo, an 8-year-old male African lion from Phoenix Zoo, has died.

The only adult male lion at the Phoenix Zoo and the father of the newborn cubs has died.

A statement from the organization said that on Friday morning, 8-year-old African lion Boboo (pronounced Bah-boo) was humanely euthanized after the zoo’s veterinary team diagnosed him with an aggressive form of kidney and spleen cancer.

“He was much loved by his keepers, Zoo staff and visitors and the Zoo will certainly be quieter without his roars and calls,” the Facebook post reads.

As part of the Species Survival Plan, a breeding and transfer program part of the nonprofit Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Boboo recently sired two cubs to a 6-year-old female lioness at the Phoenix Zoo, Zuri. The cubs, born on June 3, are the first babies born at the zoo since 1976. According to zoo spokeswoman Linda Hardwick, their gender has not yet been determined because they mate with Zuri in their den.

“It has been a time of great sadness, but also great joy as Zuri and her two cubs are doing very well and are growing beyond expectations,” the statement read, adding that “Boboo’s legacy will live on.”

Boboo, who arrived in Phoenix on March 12, 2019, from the Columbus Zoo weighing 412 pounds, was expected to start his own pride here. He was born to Tomo and Asali, and their other son, Kitambi, lived at the Phoenix Zoo before dying in 2018 from what the zoo said was a “severe systemic infection.” Boboo also had a half-brother, Donovan, and three littermates while at the Columbus Zoo.

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In a statement Saturday, the zoo said Boboo’s annual examination in May showed no signs of illness. However, the statement added that Boboo suffered from rapid weight loss, progressive lethargy, sporadic interest in food and was not responding to treatment.

According to Hardwick, in addition to Zuri and the lions, the living lions at the Phoenix Zoo also include Kamara, the sister of the mother lioness.