WHAT:
It’s time for the mane event! The media is invited to a photo op for Woodland Park Zoo’s new lion cubs on May 14. The cubs will make their public debut sometime next week with limited viewing initially.

Kamari (kuh‑MAH‑ree) and Zawadi (zah-WAH-dee) were born January 14 to first‑time parents Ilanga (ee‑LONG‑uh) and Tandie. Kamari currently weighs about 35 pounds and Zawadi around 37.5 pounds. Kamari’s name means “moon” in Swahili, Zawadi means “gift.”

Over the past week the sister cubs have been exploring and acclimating to their outdoor home and enjoy wrestling and pouncing on mother Ilanga.

The plan is to introduce father Tandie to the cubs this week.

WHEN:
May 14, 10:00–11:00 a.m.
(Please arrive within the window, accommodations past 11:00 a.m. cannot be made)

WHERE:
Meet PR staff at Woodland Park Zoo’s West Entrance on Phinney Ave. N. Press will be escorted to the lion exhibit which is currently closed off to visitors.

INFO:
Woodland Park Zoo’s lions belong to the South African subspecies, Panthera leo krugeri. Known as the Transvaal lion, it ranges in Southern Sahara to South Africa, excluding the Congo rain forest belt, in grassy plains, savanna and open woodlands.

These lions range in weight from 260 to 400 pounds. African lions are considered vulnerable with as few as 22,000–25,000 estimated to remain in the wild and their future remains uncertain, particularly as the growth in human population continues to impact lion populations. There is legal hunting of lions and retaliation killing because they pose a threat to humans and livestock.

In partnership with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ African Lion SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program, Woodland Park Zoo supports conservation organizations working with communities living with lions, with the goal of increasing the number of lions in the wild by reinforcing viable, connected landscapes and supporting tolerant communities coexisting with African lions.