New Cub Joins Lion Camp Pride
Posted at 2:28 pm April 22, 2008 by Amy Whidden Winter
Many of you have waited to hear news of adult lions M’Bari and Etosha at the Wild Animal Park. These two lions do not live in Lion Camp, but in an off-exhibit area. On December 6, 2007, after a long, hard labor, Etosha delivered three cubs: the first was small but strong; sadly, the next two were stillborn.
We watched as the little cub nursed for the first time and were happy to see Etosha taking good care of her young son. We wanted to give Etosha every opportunity to raise her cub, but after a few weeks it became apparent that something was not right. He was showing signs of weakness and was losing weight. The decision was made to take him to the hospital. When he got there, it was uncertain if he would survive; he was very weak and needed hospital care. After a week in the hospital, it was determined that he would be unable to return to Etosha and would need to be hand raised. He was transferred to the Wild Animal Park’s Animal Care Center and given his own staff to watch over him and take care of his daily needs. He was so gentle and sweet, he touched the heart of everyone who came in contact with him. It was touch and go for a while, but he pushed to survive. We agreed that he would be named Nyack, an African name meaning “strong hearted, one who will never give up,” and he proved he could live up to his name.
After getting him through the rough times, and watching him grow bigger and stronger, it was time to move him on to his next adventure. At six weeks of age, we started taking little Nyack on day trips to the Park’s Lion Camp. The goal was to give him an opportunity to develop lion social skills as well as some playtime with at least one of the other cubs. With seven cousins, we thought we could find one cub that would show him the ropes.
Being one month younger than the cubs at Lion Camp, we were concerned that the other cubs might be too rough on him. The Lion Camp cubs are tough and they play hard with each other; Nyack had only had his stuffed toys to attack and they rarely fought back! It was decided to introduce him to Mina’s boy Ingozi first. Ingozi is often off by himself sleeping or hanging out with his cousin, Ekundu; he seemed the most laid-back of the seven cubs and the easiest to separate from the pride.
The day came and Ingozi was introduced to his little cousin, Nyack. The mesh “howdy” door was used between rooms, and a keeper was in each room with a cub. All went well! Nyack boldly marched up to the mesh door. He talked to Ingozi, yowling with drawn-out choruses. Ingozi sauntered up and sniffed at the little cub and gave a slow greeting in return. Both boys seemed to enjoy the contact. It had been a successful first meeting.
The next day, Ingozi separated himself away from the pride, and this time he came right over to the howdy door. We opened the door and let Ingozi into the room with Nyack. Keepers stayed in the room with the two cubs and watched as Ingozi strolled up to Nyack. The little guy bounced around as if to say, “Play with me!” Ingozi bounced toward Nyack and swung out his paw, smacking Nyack across his right hip. Nyack seemed surprised and scared at this first contact; he took off like a shot, protesting loudly while hiding behind a log.
Ingozi, who showed what appeared to be an understanding of the younger cub’s fear, flopped on the ground with his back toward Nyack and started to rhythmically flick his tail toward the little cub. Each time that tail got a little closer to Nyack, flicking and wiggling, taunting him to attack it. Nyack could resist no longer; in a slow and careful manner, he reached a paw over the log and touched Ingozi’s tail. Ingozi went limp. This seemed to give Nyack a bit of confidence, and soon he had crawled across the log and sniffed at Ingozi lying still on the floor. Ingozi slowly sat up and the two cubs sniffed noses.
Soon a game of “I’m touching you!” started up. First Nyack touched Ingozi and then looked away; then Ingozi softly touched Nyack and looked away. This went on for a minute or two until both boys were up and bouncing around the room. First, Nyack chased Ingozi, and then Ingozi chased Nyack. When Nyack appeared scared or hurt, Ingozi would back off and assume a more passive profile until his little cousin felt more comfortable. They continued to play until both cubs were so tired they could hardly keep their eyes open. It had indeed been a successful first play date!
It wasn’t long before Nyack was introduced to some of his other cousins. Ekundu, the smaller of Oshana’s two boys, was the next to meet Nyack. Zawadi, bigger and lighter in color, proved just as patient with his younger cousin as the others had been. Next came Tamu, one of Ekundu and Zawadi’s sisters. She quickly took the upper hand, swatting and snarling at Nyack in a very dominant lioness role. Nyack responded as any good lion would: he rolled over on his back in a submissive position and carefully tried to initiate play. Satisfied with her domination over her young cousin, she paid him no attention. Soon Nyack, Ingozi, Ekundu, and Zawadi were out for early morning play dates on exhibit. As the time progressed, Oshana’s daughter Laini was introduced. Laini was indifferent to Nyack, not aggressive or passive, just another playmate, and she seemed to enjoy her time out with “the boys.”
Now Nyack and some of his cousins can be seen most mornings out on exhibit playing or just doing what lions do best, lying in the sun on the rocks in the company of each other.
Amy Whidden-Winter is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
Here’s video of Nyack and some of his cousins, narrated by Amy!…
Read a previous blog about the lion cubs, The Pride is Complete…
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April 22nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Oh wow…thanks for the wonderful update Amy! I really appreciate you taking the time to write such a detailed account. These sweet beautiful cubs just melt my heart! I love how gentle Ingozi is with his little cousin. They are such good boys. Nyack is an amazing little lion and I hope he will grow big big big and strong! Thanks to all of you at WAP of taking such good care of your big and little charges.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Thank you for such a loving and very detailed update. I am just ” over the moon” at how little Nyack is with his cousins – happy and healthy. What a wonderful outcome to a sad beginning. Has Etosha met her little cub yet? Little Nyack must hold a very special place in the hearts of everyone who cared for him – what an amazing story! Thank you again for taking care of the little guy – the WAP really is such an amazing place – miracles happen!!
Animal Care Staff responds: No, Etosha will not be reintroduced to the cub. She lives off exhibit and the cub now lives at Lion Camp in the presence of the other cubs.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
What an enchanting account. While I am sad that Etosha and M’bari will not have the opportunity to raise their cub, I am so happy that he has so many cousins to play with. I can hardly wait to see him in the exhibit area. What is the best time? I presume the adult lions are not out at the same time.
Animal Care Staff responds: Nyack and his cousins can be seen together until 11:30 most mornings.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Thanks so much for that. It’s unfortunate that the other two cubs were stillborn and that Nyack had to be separated from his mother, but it is terrific that he is healthy and can learn lion social skills from his cousins.
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Is this the first time that Etosha had complication during labor and delivery? I can’t remember if she had given birth to other cubs before but was unable to rear them herself due to health issues.
Animal Care Staff responds: This was Etosha’s third pregnancy. The first resulted in stillbirth. Since she was a first-time mother and was young, this was not a surprise. In her second pregnancy, she gave birth to a single live cub that required medical attention. We were unsure if the cub required veterinary intervention because of a problem with Etosha or his own health problems, and therefore we decided to give Etosha one final attempt to raise her own cubs. This final opportunity again resulted in necessary medical intervention after she lost interest in caring for the cub. Although Etosha seems perfectly health, for her health it was determined not to allow her to become pregnant again.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Amy,
Thanks so much for this detailed post of the interaction among the cubs, it was a delightful read and it made my day.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Nyack is very fortunate to have gotten such good care from his human friends and acceptance from his lion family. I enjoyed reading about his introduction to his fellow cubs. Your descriptions were so vivid I could almost visualize it! What a tense moment each time Nyack met another cub. So happy to see that Ingozi was friendly and receptive to his cousin. A happy life is ahead for Nyack. The SDZ keepers gave him good health, his cousins will give him joy and fun.
Thanks for saving his life and for writing this great blog.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:03 am
Such a heartwarming piece of news. Your description of them being introduced and learning to play with each other is identical to bringing new kitties into your home – they definitely belong to the same family!
Nyack sounds so sweet and I am so pleased that he has been accepted into the ‘family’. I hope his mother is OK.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 am
Yes, Thank you Amy for that very detailed account of Nyack having the opportunity to meet his cousins, and
start to learn the ropes in lion rules. =) Please keep the updates coming, as it’s so nice to hear how the lions are all doing.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:38 am
As you can imagine, tears are streaming down my face as I read with great joy the encounter of these lion cub ” cousins.” How much happier an outcome than that of Nyack’s poor older brother Koza, who was also such a special little guy. We all rejoice with this great news, and the fact that Etosha was finally able to bear a live cub who can join the pride of cubs at WAP, and live his life as a lion should. It is fitting that it was Mina’s son who welcomed Nyack into the pride.
Will Nyack have the opportunity to meet Mina and Oshana, and get the training he needs from surrogate parents? I am sure that is a more challenging introduction, although if their cubs have accepted him, hopefully they will too. How old are the cubs before you start separating them from their mothers on exhibit? Since Mina and Oshana are not mentioned, it seems that you must have the cubs on exhibit by themselves at least part of the day, thus giving their parents a break.
Thanks to all Etosha’s and M’bari’s keepers and veterinary staff for taking such pains to work them through these crises. It must have been a very teary eyed time for all of you when you saw that the outcome this time would be very different, and that this cub would be accepted by the pride.
We look forward with great anticipation to seeing and hearing of the frolicking escapades of these new friends. Now there are 8 cubs which means each of them can have their own playmate if they choose. It must be a true joy to watch such boisterous play knowing all are healthy and happy.
Animal Care Staff responds: No, Nyack will not be introduced to the adult lions. The introduction of a hand-raised animal, in particular big cats, is very difficult and is not always successful. We decided that Nyack could live a healthy life and be socialized with other lions by introducing him to other lion cubs. We were fortunate to have lion cubs that were only one month older than him and that would provide him with the physical and mental stimulation he requires. Male lions need to separated from their pride prior to one year of age, when they reach sexual reproductive age. The cubs have been separated from their mothers for short periods of time since they were two weeks of age to allow for veterinary exams and now for their socialization with Nyack.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:40 am
Amy, Thank you and all the staff who worked so hard to help Nyack become the happy, healthy little cub he is today.It also brings back memories of our beloved Koza who’s memory is always with us. It’s great to see that he has been accepted by his cousins to help show him the way
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:50 am
Moderator,has anyone heard how Cairo is doing
Animal Care Staff responds: Cairo is doing well with her adoptive family. She is still very lovable and plays well with other dogs and enjoys playing with the family cat.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Grace#5 Etosha had a cub who was being raised by hand and given a playmate named Cairo who happened to be a dog. unfortunely a tragic accident occured and Koza had to be put down. If you would like to know about our beloved Koza and his friend Cairo please type Koza at the top of the page where it says search. I think you would really enjoy it.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Thanks for the great update!! I’ve watched the video of Nyack playing with his cousins repeatedly since it appeared earlier in the week. (Adorable!!) So it’s great to get the ” back story” as well!! And what a fascinating look into lion social life, too!! Very cool! I was wondering, have the vets been able to figure out why Etosha has been having such a difficult time with her pregnancies?? It seems so sad and strange. Anyway, thanks again for the update, and thanks for the wonderful work you do!!
Animal Care Staff responds: Although there is no answer at this time as to why Etosha’s pregnancies have been difficult, she appears healthy.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:39 pm
What a beautiful story, it bring tears to my eyes, thanks Amy. Finally baby Nyack is fine and happy !!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:14 pm
OMG Will the adults be introduced to the cub?
Moderator’s note: See our animal care staff’s response in comment #10.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Little Nyack is a national star – the photo of him and Ingozi are featured in the MSNBC’s Animal Tracks photo essay this week. Such a sweet story… I still smile just thinking of the little guy playing with his cousins.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I just don’t want this cub to end up like Koza
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:15 pm
This is wonderful news. I’m always thrilled to hear about a new cub. I look forward to visiting these adorable cubs. Please watch over them. Don’t introduce this lil cub to the adult lions as other bloggers suggest. I just don’t want to see what happened to Koza happen to another sweet lil cub. They are so precious. I want to see them all grow into beautiful magnificent adult lions, and the males start prides of their own.
This is fabulous news!
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Glad that Nyack is doing well. I don’t think he should be introduced to the current adults until he’s a sub-adult (growing a mane) or older. Wanna keep him safe from harm, after all. I hope he survives into adulthood to have some cubs of his own so that M’bari and Etosha can be grandparents.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Thanks for your update, I have been really looking forward to it as we waited to see how little Nyack would do. Watching the interaction between Nyack and Ingozi is priceless. Both lions look so happy to have found each other, they are so much fun to watch. Little Nyack is a real inspiration and I am sure you are so happy to see him do so well thanks to all your great care that you have given him.
Keep up the great work and keep him safe, look forward to more updates.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Hi! Got a question for you all! Why is Nyack a grayish color and the other cubs are brown? Just curious after seeing the pic of Nyack with one of his cousins, and the colors are so different from each other. Hope you can answer that question for me and a few others that are probably curious about the same thing. Glad to hear that Nyack and some of his cousin cubs are getting along really good. Now, if you all can get all 7 cubs in there with Nyack, that’ll be a lot of fun for him! He’ll be chasing after everyone of them before too long! Good luck with him. Sorry to hear that Nyack’s mom couldn’t take care of him very well. No one mentioned the reason why, and that’s got me curious. Hope you have figured that out and let us know. Keep us updated about all of the cubs, ok?
Thanks,
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
April 24th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
What a great blog! Thanks for describing the introduction of Nyack with his cousins. We saw Nyack last Sunday with four of his cousins at Lion Camp. How do the keepers decide which ones he goes out with? He appears to be bigger in size even though he is a month younger. Could you give us an update on the cubs sizes/weights? We know that he is fluffier because there is no lioness to groom him – does that affect his color too? Will the other cubs groom him? We did see the cubs rubbing heads with each other. Nyack is a beautiful cub (as are the others) – thanks for taking great care of him and the others at Lion Camp.
Animal Care Staff responds: We don’t know for certain why Nyack is so much lighter. We can tell you that in general his mother, Etosha, and ” aunt” Mina are lighter in color compared to the other adults. Keepers also theorize that his coat is different because he is not constantly groomed by the adults. As the other cubs are groomed, their baby fur sheds off and new hair grows which might be why they are darker in color and not as fluffy as Nyack. When he was younger, keepers would brush him as a substitute for the mother’s tongue.
Nyack is also now going out with all the cubs. He was out with all seven this week! They all have been getting along great.
Regarding his size, it probably has to do with the fact that he started eating meat at a younger age than some of the other cubs. Also, his parents grew faster and were bigger than the other adults at a young age. To this day, they are still the largest of our lions.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Barbara #13–Thanks for your comments! I was pretty sure that Koza was one of Etosha’s cubs, but I couldn’t positively say so when I read the blog. I recall shedding tears when I read about the tragic accident, and still fondly remember a picture of him following the cleaning rag of a window cleaning crew. Best wishes to all the caring staff and Etosha’s newest cub Nyack! I am so proud and glad to see the entire pride being together!
April 25th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Speaking of little babies being nursed back to health. How is Kinah doing? Last I read Bunzi had a baby and Kinah was enjoying being an Aunt. Would love to hear an update on both Kinah and Bunzi. They sounded like they had a similar relationship to that of Nyack and Ignozi.
Moderator’s note: We’ll ask her keeper to write a blog update!
April 25th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Did Kamau and Zenda from the 2006 litter get shipped off already? I heard that they were leaving this month. One of them is going to the Sacramento zoo?
Animal Care Staff responds: Zenda is being shipped to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago for breeding and Kamau is slated to go to the Sacramento Zoo this summer as soon as they ship their male lion to Pretoria, South Africa. Both males are usually in the exhibit after the Park closes. They are both doing very well and keepers have been working on crate training both of them for the shipments.
April 25th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Thank you for all the staff responses. Do you know how Abena and Bakari (Oshana’s 2006 litter) are doing? We love the pictures with the blogs! Can you please add more pictures of the 8 cubs to the Lion Camp photos? Thanks!
Animal Care Staff responds: We have not heard anything regarding Abena and Bakari at the John Ball Zoo. We know they were going to be paired with a male in a brand-new exhibit. We assume no news is good news.
Moderator’s note: We’ll post the latest cub photos soon.
April 28th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Animal Care Staff, #10, thank you for a very thorough and thoughtful explanation about the process of introducing Nyack to other lions for socialization and mental stimulation. It is also helpful to know that male lions must be separated by one year of age. That explains why I have read of lion cubs being shipped to other ” homes” at a younger age than tigers are. Tiger cubs appear to be separated from their mothers at 15-18 months of age, at least at NZP. I believe the WAP tigers were also about 15 months when they were separated and shipped to new homes.
Nyack is in great hands, and it is obviously a special blessing that there was not just one other litter, but two, for him to learn to interact with 7 separate personalities. He has gotten the benefits of a being part of a large active pride, without being born into it.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Amy, thank you for the detailed blog. I enjoy reading about all the animals and get to the Zoo/WAP frequently to visit them. Your blog mentions that M’Bari and Entosha live off exhibit. I thought they lived next door to the tigers. Have they been moved elsewhere? If so, will they be back on exhibit and who lives in the exhibit next to the tigers? I believe Mina and Oshana are sisters. Are Isu and M’Bari brothers? Is that how Nyack is a cousin to the seven cubs?
Animal Care Staff responds: M’Bari and Etosha have been moved from the old lion exhibit and are currently in an off-exhibit area. They are currently slated to move to the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey habitat, due to open in 2009. The old lion exhibit is presently vacant as we discuss what species would be appropriate to exhibit in there.
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.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
We have been to Lion Camp several times and have enjoyed seeing Nyack and his cousins on exhibit in the morning. It’s great to see them together. Later in the day, we saw Izu, Oshana, Mina, and only six cubs on exhibit. Does one cousin stay with Nyack? Thanks for updating the pictures.
May 28th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
CUTE LION!
October 25th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Just a heads up, Tomo recently sired litter of three cubs at Columbus Zoo. The mother was a female named Asali (Born at Denver Zoo in 2005) and the genders are two females and one male