Columbus Zoo proudly announces birth of new African lion pride members

A new pride of lions is wondering the grounds at the Columbus Zoo! Three African lion cubs were born on August 16 and 17.

This is the first litter for four-year-old Naomi, who is attentive to the healthy cubs, according to Heart of Africa animal care teams.

Her pregnancy was a surprise since the cub’s sire, Tomo, underwent a vasectomy in 2018 because his genes are strongly represented within the African Lion Species Survival Program population. Tomo was humanely euthanized in May at the age of 15 after his quality of life rapidly diminished due to age-related issues.

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Since female cubs stay with their birth pride, African lions in their native ranges are known at times to mate with their own offspring if another male has not been able to successfully establish himself as the new leader of the pride.

“We are committed to the work the Columbus Zoo is doing to protect lions in Africa, as well as inspiring our guests to join us in taking action to help lions and other species. We are very grateful for their support of the Zoo as it is also benefiting important conservation initiatives and having a direct impact on saving wildlife in their native ranges,” said Columbus Zoo President/CEO Tom Stalf.

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