Cue Circle of Life — there’s a new lion cub in town at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.
Roaring Over the New Lion Cub at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
On Tuesday, the zoo announced the birth of an as-yet-unnamed female lion. The cub, who was born on Sunday, April 5, is the offspring of 9-year-old parents Hondo and Scarlett.
“Mom and baby are both doing very well,” says Dr. Jeremy Goodman, the zoo’s president and CEO. “They’re in a maternity den, back of house — so off-habitat [for now].
“Back in 2019, Scarlett was imported from a facility in Africa to introduce new bloodlines and genetics into the North American lion population,” Goodman explains. “The effort made for the birth of this cub involved five different institutions working cooperatively over the span of over a decade to make sure we have a healthy population and that we are contributing toward lion conservation.”
And She’s Already Making a Statement…
During the announcement, Hondo — the father of the young cub — stood in his habitat over Goodman’s shoulder, seeming to beam like a proud father.
In a statement, Karen Vacco, the assistant curator of mammals, gave a glowing endorsement of the cub’s health. “Scarlett is an excellent mother and has been caring for the cub well,” Vacco said in a statement. “Animal care staff are carefully monitoring healthy nursing patterns and normal maternal behavior.”
The young cub, who was “about 2 pounds” at birth and is “a little bigger than the size of a football” now, will remain off-habitat while she continues to bond with Scarlett. She’s expected to make a public debut in late summer. Updates on the cub’s development can be found on the zoo’s social-media outlets — and an opportunity for the public to contribute ideas for the name of the cub is expected soon.
“I’ve been in this business a long time,” Goodman adds, “and it doesn’t get old — seeing a baby lion. I still remember my first one, and this one will be just as special. They are truly phenomenal animals.”
Story by Sean Collier
Photo and Video Courtesy of Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
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