Since her birth, Pittsburgh Zoo’s new lion cub, Kiazi, has spent her first few months growing up behind the scenes and bonding with her mother, Scarlett. But on August 10, Pittsburghers finally got their first in-person look at the newest member of the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium’s lion pride.

Keepers released Kiazi into the lion habitat, where she joined her mother, father Hondo, and aunt. The young cub wasted little time exploring her new surroundings, dashing across the grounds, climbing on her parents’ backs and even carrying a stick around as she took in her new environment.

The wait for her public debut wasn’t without reason. The zoo’s lion habitat features natural hills and an incline, so keepers wanted to make sure Kiazi was strong and confident enough on her feet before introducing her to the larger habitat.

Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium Introduces Kiazi, the New Lion Cub, at Her Public Debut

While visitors got to watch Kiazi show off her personality, they also learned the lioness’ name.

The zoo invited the public to take part in a naming contest, allowing animal lovers to submit their own suggestions with a $5 donation. More than 1,000 zoo visitors and supporters participated, with proceeds benefiting the zoo and its conservation efforts.

After reviewing the submissions, zoo staff selected Kiazi — a name that means “potato” in Swahili.

The is even a perfect combination of Kiazi’s family history. Her father, Hondo, came to the Pittsburgh Zoo from Idaho, while her mother, Scarlett, arrived from Africa.

The winning name was revealed during Kiazi’s public debut, giving visitors another reason to celebrate the zoo’s newest arrival.

Celebrating World Lion Day

Kiazi’s debut also coincided with World Lion Day, an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges lions face in the wild, including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and declining populations.

After meeting Kiazi, guests could stick around for a full day of lion- and conservation-themed activities. The celebration included information tables highlighting conservation efforts, lion enrichment demonstrations, opportunities to meet zoo keepers, story time and more.

But, the real star of the show was Kiazi, a ball of personality and already a very welcome furry face to the zoo’s family.

Story and Photos by Kylie Thomas