Cruz, the mountain lion at Tucson's Desert Museum, put down

Cruz, the 13-year-old mountain lion at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, was put down on Thursday due to ongoing medical issues, officials said.

“Yesterday morning, after an extensive medical examination, it was deemed necessary to humanely euthanize him,” the museum west of Tucson said Friday in a news release. “Our veterinary and animal care teams made this decision only after determining there were no reasonable options to maintain his comfort or quality of life.”

The mountain lion lived at the museum since 2013, arriving as a five-and-a-half-month-old rescue cub from California. The malnourished cub was nursed back to health by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, but he was deemed unfit to return to the wild.

Cruz, a 13-year-old mountain lion, was put down Thursday, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum officials said.

Courtesy Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The big cat had a combination of medical conditions as well as age-related issues, and his health had been in decline. He also had become blind from a lifelong degenerative eye condition linked to malnutrition as a cub, the release said.

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“We know Cruz had fluid in his chest, but the cause is still being determined, and we will not know the exact diagnosis until his necropsy results come back,” the release said.

“Cruz has been the face of our organization for over a decade,” the release said.

“From watching him relax on his rock to capturing breathtaking photos of him, he’s been loved and adored by thousands.”

Cruz, then 10 years old, sticks out its tongue while sunbathing at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star, File 2022

“In many ways, our 120-pound Cruz was much like a typical house cat — he loved playing with boxes, soaking up sun rays, napping, and grooming his beautiful coat. As a cub, Cruz loved goat milk, chasing rock squirrels and lazing in the sun.”

On his final day, Cruz seemed unaffected by arthritis and was able to “play with a box and shred it to pieces, and relax in his favorite spot,” the release said.

“He was a remarkable ambassador for mountain lions and the Desert Museum. I am thankful to our vet and animal care team who have provided Cruz with exceptional care throughout the years,” Shawnee Riplog-Peterson, curator of mammalogy and ornithology at the museum, said in the release. “Cruz will be greatly missed.”

Photos: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Cool Summer Nights

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Docent Floyd Newsom, left, and visitor Hans Huth take a closer look at some of the insects attracted to the black light lamps, one of the education stations set up along the walks at the Mad About Monsoons edition of the Cool Summer Nights at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on July 16, 2022.