There’s a new little roar at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium: A lion cub has been born.
Zoo officials said the female African lion was born April 5 to the zoo’s female Scarlett and male Hondo. The parents are both 9 years old, which means they’re in their prime.
Both the mom and baby are doing well, according to Jeremy Goodman, president and CEO of the zoo.
The unnamed cub will be introduced to the public later this summer, as the mom and baby are still bonding privately, according to Goodman. The name will be announced in the near future.
Most likely, he said, the zoo will have a naming contest, with input from keepers and animal staff “to make sure the name will fit with the personality.”
Scarlett gave birth to the new cub onsite at the zoo in the maternity den, which is right by the lion habitat that the public sees, Goodman said.
The last lion births at the Zoo were in July 2020 — when three cubs were born to lioness Abana.
The birth of the new cub comes less than one year after her father, Hondo, was brought to Pittsburgh from Idaho as part of a breeding program, the nationwide Lion Species Survival Plan, according to Goodman. Her mom, Scarlett, was brought from Africa in 2019 to introduce new blood lines and genetics into the North American lion population, he said.
Zoo staff navigated introductions between Hondo and Scarlett, monitoring Scarlett’s pregnancy and training Scarlett “to allow for voluntary imaging of the fetus,” which Goodman said is not easy to do with a lion.
“Babies are always exciting to have here at the zoo, especially an iconic species like the African lion, who is vulnerable in the wild” he said. “Their numbers are constantly shrinking — to have this cub, which is part of the future, we’re really excited.”
Hondo and Scarlett were among 35 recommended breeding pairings by the Survival Plan, according to Goodman. They are the seventh to have a cub out of those national pairings.
“We are hoping obviously nationwide there are more … to help the species,” he said, thrilled that the Pittsburgh Zoo could do its part to help the population.
Goodman said the breeding program has also recommended Hondo pair with another lioness at the Pittsburgh Zoo, Abana, and the two have already shown mating activity.
“We’re really thrilled to have him here; he welcomes and thrills our guests every single day,” he said of Hondo, who is the only male lion at the Pittsburgh Zoo. “He’s proven to be a good father as well, we … hope this is the first of many quite honestly.
“We will have to wait and see — time will tell.”
Goodman said Hondo and his new offspring met through a barrier “for the safety of the cub,” but he said Hondo is “very interested” in the cub.
“Mom keeps a watchful eye on her — we don’t anticipate any problems,” he said. “This cub is the most recent addition to the pride. We fully expect all of our adult lions to take very well to a little girl.”
Lion cubs at birth are about two pounds, Goodman said, and right now, the new baby is a bit bigger than the size of a football, and she’s growing every day.
“She continues to put on good weight,” he said, and the vets at the zoo have been checking her out. “Just like any other kitten would have their kitten shots, she’s getting the same kind of preventative health program here at the zoo with vets … from any feline diseases that she could possibly catch.”
The new baby is nursing as of now, Goodman said, and zoo staff will gradually introduce solid foods.
“It’s adorable, there’s no other words to explain it,” he said. “They’re playful; they go on spurts just like little kids do — ball of energy and then take a nap.”
People interested in the cub’s progress can monitor through the zoo’s social media channels.
