Lion News

The four youngest members of the African lion pride at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are making their public debut today at noon at the Great Cats Exhibit! Born March 2 to mother Shera and father Luke, the 14-week-old cubs passed their swim test in May and have received all their vaccinations. They...

Four African lion cubs took a brisk paddle today and passed their swim reliability test. The cubs—three males and one female—were born at the Zoo March 2. All cubs born at the Great Cats exhibit must undergo the swim reliability test and prove that they are ready to be on exhibit. All four cats were...

The lion cubs are all doing quite well! Naba's girls weigh about 30 pounds now, and Shera's cubs range from 19 to 20.5 pounds. Shera's cub that had the limp is showing great improvement. His limp is very slight, and his blood-work came back normal this week. In fact, he seems to be outcompeting his...

This update was written by animal keeper Kristen Clark. Today, the cubs met face-to-face with Luke for the first time! Introductions are always tense the first time you do them, but we always try to base it on positive behaviors we've seen in the past and experiences we've had in the past. We've...

We have an animal care update from our Great Cats team. Last week, one of our African lion cubs—a male born to Shera and Luke—had not gained as much weight as expected and was exhibiting some lameness in his right leg. The good news is that he has gained weight over the weekend! Although he...

Last week, keepers started introductions between Shera and Naba's cubs! Keepers watch these interactions closely in the event that the cubs need to be separated. Fortunately, everyone has been getting along fine. As part of the Zoo's animal management plan for big cats, African lions are weighed...

Today, Nababeip's two cubs received their second routine veterinary exam. At almost a month and a half old, they weigh between 16 and 17 pounds. They both got a clean bill of health! Keepers also had the opportunity to get a first hands-on look at Shera's four cubs. We were able to get individual...

March came in like a lion—four lions, to be exact— as 9-year-old African lion Shera gave birth to a litter at the Great Cats exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Their delivery March 2 spanned a seven-hour period, from 8:27 a.m. to 3:17 p.m. These cubs are the second litter for Shera and the...

March came in like a lion—four lions, to be exact—9-year-old African lion Shera gave birth to a litter at the Great Cats exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Their delivery March 2 spanned a seven-hour period, from 8:27 a.m. to 3:17 p.m. These cubs are the second litter for Shera and the fifth...

We want to let you know that for the immediate future all lion cub cams will be going offline. The good news is, when they come back online, we hope it's to give you a look at new lion cubs! Shera's due date is imminent, and our team is preparing for a new litter of cubs. As we mentioned last week...

Healthy and well fed! That was the ruling animal care staff gave to Nababiep's two-and-a-half-week-old cubs during their first veterinary exam yesterday. The complete physical involved listening to the cubs' hearts and lungs; checking their mouths, eyes, legs, and feet; and feeling their bellies...

A few days ago, African lion mother Naba spent some time away from her cubs and enjoyed a special oxtail treat with her sister Shera. Keepers took the opportunity to get their first in-person look at the cubs. Their report: they are adorable! In order to distinguish the two, keepers shaved a small...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's Great Cats team celebrated the arrival of its first litter of African lion cubs in four years. On Jan. 24, the Zoo's 10-year-old lion Nababiep gave birth to three cubs—two surviving—in an eight-hour period. These cubs are the third litter for Nababiep and the fourth...

By Budhan Pukazhenthi, SCBI Scientist The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species, often considered the world authority on wildlife populations, lists African lions as vulnerable. “Vulnerable” is a classification that is not as extreme as “endangered,”...

Things in the lion house have been fairly quiet this winter. When temps drop to freezing, we usually let the lions decide where they want to play throughout the day. With the colder air moving into DC this January, the lions have been choosing to hang-out inside for much of the day. We do have a few...

Last week, we bid a bittersweet farewell to Zuri and Fahari, as they left for their new home at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Their new keepers traveled to DC to meet the girls and accompanied them during their flight back to sunny California—via FedEx! Zuri and Fahari traveled in the same crates that...

It's hard to believe that another year has passed since the birth of Naba and Shera's cubs, yet here we are planning their second birthday celebration! Lelie, Zuri, Fahari and John turned two years old on August 31; Lusaka will be turning two on September 22. We'd love to invite everyone to join us...

With the lion cubs second birthdays rapidly approaching, we are starting to receive official recommendations from the African lion Species Survival Plan (SSP) about where the youngsters will start their adult lives. We recently confirmed that Aslan and Baruti will be heading to Calgary Zoo this...

Lion separations have been going smoothly, and we are ready to take the last step! Several weeks ago, Baruti, Aslan, and John started spending the night in their own set of dens, next to the females. Luke had moved a little farther away from the rest of the pride, but has been able to walk through a...

Ever since the lion cubs celebrated their first birthdays, things among the pride have remained status quo—but changes are on the horizon. Don't worry, no one is leaving right now. In fact, we don't have any relocation recommendations for the youngsters just yet. However, if you've visited during...