Ekundu, top, and Nyack from earlier this year.
Where has the time gone? It really does seem like only yesterday when we watched as the eight African lion cubs attacked the boxes and frozen treat enrichment items we put out for their first birthday celebration in November 2008 (see Lion Cubs Turn One). Now, only one of our “pride of cubs” remains with us at Lion Camp at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park: Ekundu, the smallest of Oshana and Izu’s two boys. All the others are settled into their new homes across the country with loving and glowing reports from their new keepers.
Laini, Tamu, and Ingozi were the first to leave. It was a sunny January morning when we loaded them into their crates and placed each crate into a modified stock trailer. It was hard to let the first of our cubs go, but we knew all of these cubs were born with a mission: to go out into the world and help keep the captive lion population diversified and strong. Oshana’s two girls, Laini and Tamu, were sent to Jacksonville, Florida, where they were introduced to a young male. Their keepers tell us stories of Laini and Tamu chasing turtles and lounging in the Florida sunshine. Mina’s boy, Ingozi, was sent to St. Louis, Missouri. He has been paired up with a young lioness. Their keepers tell us stories of Ingozi and his girlfriend romping around their exhibit, climbing trees, and engaging in a rambunctious game of tag.
Then Mina’s smallest girl, Kaya, headed off to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona. When she got to her new home, she was greeted by her personal staff and a news crew documenting her arrival. Her keepers tell us she enjoys her pond and her favorite toys.
Shortly after Kaya got to her new home, a van arrived at Lion Camp from Wildlife Safari in Oregon to pick up her sister, Sarabi; she was escorted safely to her new home by her own personal entourage. Her keepers tell us Sarabi settled into her new home well. They say she is playful and fun and enjoys chasing the birds.
Next to leave was Oshana’s biggest boy, Zawadi. His ride showed up to take him to his new home in Portland, Oregon. He arrived there safe and sound, with two lionesses waiting for him. His keepers tell us he rests on his back and looks lazily at his world from his upside-down vantage point (a habit he shares with his father, Izu).
Our hand-raised boy, Nyack, left for his new home in April. It was a bittersweet sendoff for his keepers. He arrived at his new home in Indianapolis safely and made it through his 30-day quarantine without a problem. His keepers tell us they are working on building their own relationship with him and are looking forward to introducing him to his new female companions.
Ekundu is our last “cub,” although he’s hardly a cub anymore at two-and-a-half years old and 365 pounds (166 kilograms). He is waiting to go to his new home, and until then we are happy to keep him here.
It was quite an adventure having all those cubs—Lion Camp had never been so full of challenges and lions! As for now, it’s nice to have a bit of time to regroup. One can never tell what the future may bring, but whatever happens, we should be ready.
Amy Whidden-Winter is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
Thank you for the comprehensive update. I have followed the Lion Camp lions since their arrival from Africa.
Awwwwww, thank you for the update on the lions, Amy. I have been wondering what’s been going on with them.
Glad all the cubs found great homes. Hope they all continue to flourish !!
Thank you VERY much for the update on the cubs. I knew Ekundu was still at Lion Camp thanks to some pictures from a regular to Wild Animal Park. Hopefully you’ll let us know where he goes. I’ve seen pictures of Ingozi and his new girlfriend at the St Louis Zoo and he does seem to be quite happy. I’m surprised Nyack was sent to Indianapolis because I thought he was destined for Hawai’i. I’m glad, though, that he remained on the mainland since that increases the chances I’ll have to go visit him (I’m not real keen on a flight to Hawai’i). I still mentally kick myself for not going to see the cubs when they were younger. They were over a year old the first time I saw them and the boys were already starting to get a more mature look to them.
Will there ever be more cubs for Izu, Oshana and/or Mina or are they ‘done’?
PS—Since I live in Arizona, I have already seen Kaya a couple of times and she seems happy in her new home. Last I heard, they intended to find a younger male for her since the two males they have now are past breeding age.
any breeding plans?
Thanks for the update, Amy. When I visited in January I thought that someone said that a male and female cub were still there and were headed West together. Plans must have changed. Glad everyone has settled in nicely, and that Izu and Ekundu can enjoy each other’s company without aggression.
I thought female lions tended to stary together in the same pride. Why send the females to different zoos? To distribute the genetic pool? Are they with other females, or are they solitary?
Amy responds: Good questions. In wild prides, daughters often stay with their birth families while the males are pushed out. Our lions are needed to help keep genetic diversity in zoo populations viable; all of our females are currently being housed with other lions, and some have recommendations to breed and start their own prides.
#3 Brenda
We hope so. The females were implanted with a contraception, a lion birth control which should last between 1 to 3 years; we hit the two-year mark in May, so we are monitoring their hormone levels and watching for signs of estrus.
Thanks for the update on the lion cubs who are now adults. I love seeing the photo of the grown-up cubs and how each is faring. So glad and proud to see them doing well.
Oh my — our babies are gone…. kinda sad to hear that they have all flown the coop — but I”m sure we will have more cubbies in the near future — and it is exciting to think that will all be starting their own prides! Thanks for the update and congratulations on your success!!
Amy, thank you for answering my question. I know they’ve mated during that time they’ve been on contraception so I wondered why it didn’t produce any cubs. When they come into estrus again and the mating is successful, I’ll be sure to visit when the cubs are still small. I wonder if we’ll end up with another big litter between the two girls.
I was so excited when I saw Nyack last year in a behind the scenes tour at the WAP. I remembered the tender story about how he was the smallest cub and had to be hand raised. But the most moving and unforgetable part of the blog was about when he received his own rabbit for the first time. I thank Amy for taking the time to share these lions with us.
Nyack has grown into a handsome, large majestic lion. I will miss him, but I hope he has a very happy life in Indianapolis.
Good work ! Keep us posting, you are very good writer.
I volunteer with the lions at the Indy Zoo — Nyack was out on exhibit with our two lionesses today. He really is gorgeous, and I think he’s going to love it here.
There’s a little blurb about him on the Indy Zoo website: indianapoliszoo (dot) com/content.aspx?cid=213.
Moderator’s note: Great to hear he’s doing well!
HELP! HELP! HELP! PLEASE!
I have been so much out of the loop! I used to follow these cubs day by day in 2008 then I got really busy
Can someone give me an update please!
1) How many lions do u have a lion camp now?
2) Will there be more cubs in the future?
3) How old are your lions?
4) Can you post new pics and a new blog of all your lions please?
Thank-you in advance!
Moderator’s note:
1) 4
2) See comment #8
3) Izu was born October 2003; Oshana and Mina were born November 2003; Ekundu was born November 2007.
4) We’ll post new photos as they become available.
Also, are all 8 cubs (well not cubs any more) been given permission to breed?
One more question: Do you keep any of the cubs that are born at Lion Camp?
One last question: Can you tell me how many previous cubs you had (Mina/Oshana’s) first litters, and have they had any cubs?
Moderator’s note: See response to comment #7. All previous cubs born at the Wild Animal Park have moved to other zoo facilities. They have four surviving cubs from their first litters, but we don’t know if they’ve become parents.
Four surving cubs? What do you mean by that? Can u tell me how many cubs (and whether male/female) Oshana and Mina had in their first litters please
Birth Control? So it should be ending soon, right? so do you think within the next year we could see another pregnancy?
and, Ekunda is will be 3 soon, isn’t it dangerous to have 2 full grown males in the same cage? Especially with only having 2 lionesses?
and, can you tell me how Nyacks parents are doing? BTW, Nyack has 2 girlfriends and hes at has been given permission for him to mate with the females. They are hoping for cubs soon! Figers Crossed!
One last think, I visted the actual Zoo last year and (in a very small cage) they hade 2 lionesses, no male. Whats up with that? Can you give me some info?
and whats the lilklyhood of Ekunda become a permanent resident at Lion camp?
Thanx in advance!
Jack
Moderator’s note: Oshana’s first litter consisted of two females, Abena and Bakari. See post Lion Cubs Named.
Mina’s first litter consisted of two boys and a girl. See post Lion Cub ABCs. Unfortunately the female never did very well, and died in 2007 (see In Memory of Mandisa). Ekundu rotates on exhibit with his father. Nyack’s parents, Etosha and M’bari, now live in Elephant Odyssey at the San Diego Zoo (see The Pride of Elephant Odyssey). We have a very old lioness in another part of the Zoo (see Golden Girls in Their Golden Years). Our blog section is a great resource for our lion collection information. Just do a blog section search to learn more.
Thankyou for your help!
Can you tell me which zoos Abena, Bakari, and the other 2 went to so I can contact them and ask how they’re doing?
He rotates? So one day hes with him mom and aunt, the next his dads with them and he’s off exhibit?
I will look at all those blogs, thanx
Moderator’s note: Abena and Bakari are at the John Ball Zoo in Michigan (see Bon Voyage, Lion Girls); Kamau is at the Sacramento Zoo and Zenda is at the Brookfield Zoo (see A Strange New World for Kamau the Lion).
Another question: M’Bari and Etosha used to be part of lion camp, right? Why were they removed and why did you guys bring in a new male and lionesses?
Moderator’s note: M’bari and Etosha were part of the original six lions at Lion Camp. No new lions have been brought in.
For those interested, the Bronx Zoo, has 6 lions
They have a male and a female, they produced one female cub in November 2008 and 3 more (2 girls, 1 boy) in January 20101! All 6 are on exhibit together now! bronxzoo (dot) com/multimedia/headlines/lion-cub-naming-update.aspx
And can anyone give me an update on the Denver Zoo’s lions? If anyone knows can someone tell me how many they have and some more info?
Thanx
Sorry I’m confused, so you had 6 lions at Lion Camp Originarily, Oshana, Mina, Etosha, M’bari, Izu, and who was the 6th? Why were they all seperated?
I’m so confused!
Moderator’s note: The sixth cub was a male (I can’t remember his name at the moment, but it started with a “T”). They all arrived at Lion Camp as cubs. Once they all reached adulthood, it was time to move some of them. Animal moves are very common in the zoo world and are done for numerous reasons. “T” moved to another zoo several years ago.
Moderator’s note: Abena and Bakari are at the John Ball Zoo in Michigan (see Bon Voyage, Lion Girls); Kamau is at the Sacramento Zoo and Zenda is at the Brookfield Zoo (see A Strange New World for Kamau the Lion).
Hey,
I’ve sent an email to John Ball Zoo about Bakari and Abena and I sent an email to Brokfield Zoo about Zenda. Can someone find me the email for the Sacramento Zoo, I can’t seem to find it!
I understand now, thanx for the clarification!
I have some more questions tho!
1) Why did you put Mina and Oshana on birth control if you wanted to breed them again?
2) I know you said the birst control lasts 1-3 years, and you hit the 2 year mark in May, but when are Keepers expecting more cubs? Early next year?
3) How were those 6 original cubs related?
4) Mina and Oshana have each had 2 litters, have many more are you guys expecting them to have?
5) Will you definitly, if all goes well, be having more cubs?
6) Was Etosha permantly spayed?
thanx in advance!
Moderator’s note: Etosha has had three pregnancies. The first resulted in stillbirth. In her second pregnancy, she gave birth to a single live cub that required medical attention. The third pregnancy again resulted in necessary medical intervention after she lost interest in caring for the cub. Although Etosha seems perfectly healthy, it has been determined not to allow her to become pregnant again.
I found this animal care response from couple years ago:
“M’Bari is Mina and Oshana’s brother, which is why Nyack is a cousin to the females’ cubs. Izu is brother to Etosha and Tomo, our male lion who was sent to Columbus Zoo for breeding. ”
and I also found a comment saying Tomo is a father of 3 cubs, with a lioness that was born at Denver Zoo!
Moderator’s note: Tomo! Thank you. I knew it started with a “T”!
I Got A Response From Bakari and Abena’s keeper!
1) Q-Who is the male they’ve been paired up with? (His age, name, etc)
A-DOCHA is our male! He’s 4 years old.
2)Q- What are your plans for breeding them? We are all wondering if either lioness is pregnant or has had cubs since they’ve come to the John Ball Zoo?
A-These lions are still very young and although we do have a breeding recommendation, we have only recently seen some activity in that arena. For the last 2 years, every time the girls even came near Docha he growled…now, we see him comfortably lazing with them quite often. We’re hoping nature will take it’s course soon!
3) Q-And lastly, can you give me an update on how they’re doing, their behaviour, funny stores? Etc
A-Both females have distinctly different personalities! Abena has no fear whatsoever… while Bakari is more timid. Our exhibit is based on the region of Lake Manyara – one of the only places in Africa where lions have been seen to lounge in trees. Our exhibit, therefore, includes a large heated/cooled tree that we often hide treats in to encourage climbing. Abena goes up there the minute she comes out into the exhibit, while I’ve never seen Bakari up there. The two girls play constantly, teasing each other and Docha throughout the day!
So they aren’t yet mothers but they are hopeful!
I Recieved An Email From Nyack’s Keepers!
“Nyack is doing great! The introduction to the lionesses went very well & he does seem fond of the younger one, Zuri, the one that the SSP has given us permission for breeding. We’ll see – we hope for cubs, but nothing definite yet.”
I have a question: a moderator in one of the comments way above wrote that they don’t breed lions that are related to eachother. My friend had 2 shitzu puppies. They accidently mated when they were a year old. They had only 3 pups: a pup that was already bigger than its parents at 2 months of age, a normal pup, and a very small seriously ill puppy. There was definitly quite a few things wrong with the litter. Was it because they were so closely related?
Moderator’s note: It is certainly possible.
Its been 35 days since a lion blog
Whens the next one gun be?
Moderator’s note: Our keeper is working on a new one.
Thanx! Will it have any exciting news!?
Ingozi’s Keeper Sent Me An Email!:
Dear Jack,
With regard to your questions about Ingozi lion, his introduction to our female Cabara went very smoothly. In fact, the pair was living together compatibly several days after the start of their introductions. Ingozi, who is 2.7 yrs old, has attempted to breed four year old Cabara at least twice over the last several months, but neither attempt resulted in a pregnancy. However, he is a young male lion and still maturing, so we are hopeful this pair will produce offspring in the future. Ingozi has become a very popular lion with both the keeper staff and zoo visitors.
I hope this information is helpful. Thank you for your interest in lions and the St. Louis Zoo.
Zawadi’s Keeper!:
Zawadi is doing very well. He enjoys the company of his females and is training well for his keepers. He is still intimidated by men but is getting better.
Ekundu made his public debut at the Honolulu Zoo on Friday, August 20th. Local news reports said that he had arrived on July 1st, but had to be quarantined. A young female lioness is supposed to be brought to the Honolulu Zoo in November as a potential mate for Ekundu.
1. Tomo’s cubs are almost a year old!
2. In case you didn’t here, Tomo became a first time father last year at the Columbus Zoo. One of the females, Asali, had 2 females and 1 male. Tomo was introduced to his cubs when they were about 5 months old. He’s very good with them, probably getting that trait from brother Izu.
3. How old were Izu’s cubs when he was introduced to them, both from 2006 and 2008?
Moderator’s note: Izu usually goes out on exhibit with his cubs when they are four months old.
Any lion updates ?
I can never seem to tell Mina and Oshana apart from each other. The only lion I can get a positive id on is Izu, since he’s the only male. Is there a way to tell Mina and Oshana apart so I don’t have a confused look on my face the next time I see them? Hoping for more cubs in the future!
Amy responds: It is not easy to tell those girls apart, but there is a difference. Mina has a speckled nose, she is also a bit lighter in color and heavier than Oshana. Oshana has a heart-shaped pattern of hair between her eyes and is a bit darker and slimmer than Mina. Hope that will help so next time you’re watching the lions, you won’t feel like you are looking so confused.
How may lions are there in the lion camp now? How many male and how many female? Is there any chance of cubs going to be in future?
Moderator’s note: Lion Camp at the Safari Park has one adult male and two adult females. There’s always a chance for more cubs in the future!
Hi, in total how many lions do San Diego has? will frequent moving of lions will have any impact on pride behaviour and breeding? Do San Diego have any rescue & rehalbitation centre for lions or any big cats?
Moderator’s note: In addition to the three at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the San Diego Zoo has one adult male and two adult females.
Hi what is the status of Ekundu? has he left the zoo or still there in lion camp? There is no new update regarding Lion Camp? Kindly update
Moderator’s note: Ekundu moved to the Honolulu Zoo in July and is paired there with a female lion. We should have a blog post update on our Lion Camp residents soon.
Hi, any new update on Lions regarding new babies? Kindly reply
Moderator’s note: Our keeper is working on a new lion post.
Hi, does san diego zoo have any idea about having white lions in near future? I believe this will attract more vsitors.
Moderator’s note: We don’t have any plans to obtain white lions.
Hi any update on lions? on March 3 you said “will keep posted”? Kindly give us some insight about present lions and any new cubs in zoo?