Meet Pittsburgh's new lion cub
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Pittsburgh's new African lion cub will make her public debut in late summer. Photo: Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has a new rookie on the prowl.
The big picture: A female African lion cub born April 5 will make her public debut in late summer, the zoo announced Tuesday.
- She arrives less than a year after her father, 9-year-old Hondo, came to Pittsburgh from Idaho Falls Zoo. Her mother is 9-year-old lioness Scarlett.
Zoom in: Scarlett and her unnamed cub are resting in a secluded maternity den, where they can bond in peace before rejoining the pride.
What they're saying: Zoo leaders said the cub's arrival strengthens a nationwide breeding effort focused on maintaining healthy lion populations in human care.
Context: African lions remain vulnerable in the wild due to a shrinking habitat, conflict with people, and dwindling prey.
- The last lion births at the zoo came in July 2020, when lioness Abana gave birth to three cubs — the first African lion births at the zoo since 1975.
The bottom line: "The cub is doing great and exceeding milestones," says Assistant Curator of Mammals Karen Vacco. "Scarlett is an excellent mother and has been caring for the cub well. Animal care staff are carefully monitoring healthy nursing patterns and normal maternal behavior."
