An elderly African lion whose roar could be heard in the surrounding neighborhood has been euthanized at Atlanta's zoo.

Veterinarians decided to euthanize 22-year-old Farasi after it became clear age-related complications were harming his quality of life.

Farasi was born in September 1990 in South Africa's Kruger National Park and was likely orphaned or abandoned. He was cared for at the De Wildt Cheetah Centre and moved to the San Diego Safari Park before being transferred to Zoo Atlanta in June 2000.

Guests often mistook his roar for a recording. Starting in 2005, he and another male lion, Kamau, could be heard roaring back and forth.

Farasi was the oldest male African lion living the population of pedigreed cats managed by the Lion Species Survival Plan in North America.

Tags: Zoo Atlanta, euthanized, zoo, lion, african lion