The Fort Worth Zoo in Texas has announced the birth of its first lion cub since 2015, a male lion named Moja.
“Surprise! We have been keeping a secret,” the zoo wrote in a post on its Facebook page on January 11, 2024.
“Introducing the newest (and perhaps cutest) little addition to the lion pride!”
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The cub was born to mother Saba and father Jabulani on October 20, 2023, according to the Fort Worth Zoo.
His name means “one” in Swahili, the zoo said.
Moja (pictured), a male lion cub, was born on October 20, 2023, the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas said in a January post announcing the animal's birth. (Fort Worth Zoo)
The zoo said, “Since this is the first baby mackerel, we thought this name was appropriate.''
The cub is also the first cub to be born in the Fort Worth Zoo's “Asian and African Predator” lion habitat, the organization said.
The exhibition opened in June 2023.
According to the Fort Worth Zoo, Moja's parents were born in South Africa along with another female lion, Abagabae.
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The zoo is part of a lion breeding program in collaboration with other zoos in North America.
When Saba, Jabulani and Abagabae arrived at the zoo in 2012, they “changed the gene pool and introduced a new lion bloodline to North America,” the zoo said.
“Moja's birth is both a conservation success and another step forward in diversifying the African lion lineage in the United States,” the Fort Worth Zoo said in a statement.
According to the Fort Worth Zoo, Moja (above) has already grown quite a bit. When he was born, he weighed less than 3 pounds. He currently weighs 16 pounds. (Fort Worth Zoo)
Moja currently weighs 16 pounds, the zoo said in a release.
That's nearly six times more than when she tipped the scales at four days old, weighing just 2.7 pounds.
“Over the past few months, Moja has been growing and bonding behind the scenes. [his] “Keepers have been closely monitoring his development and health,” the zoo said.
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According to the Fort Worth Zoo, Moja has not yet met his father or any of the other female adult lions at the zoo, but as Moja continues to grow, he will likely do so “in the near future.”
For now, our focus is on Moja continuing to achieve milestones and grow bigger and stronger.
“The smallest lions are beginning to practice innate behaviors, such as playing with mackerel's tails and biting their hind legs to mimic predator-prey behavior,” the Fort Worth Zoo said.
The Fort Worth Zoo says Moja has not yet met the zoo's other lions, but will in the near future. (Fort Worth Zoo)
Furthermore, mackerel mackerels “display ideal maternal behavior by providing frequent breastfeeding opportunities, bathing their babies, playing with them, and holding them while moving around the burrow.” It is said that
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Due to a variety of factors, it's not yet clear when the public will be able to see the Fort Worth Zoo's newest animals.
“Because this is the first cub born in the new habitat of the Asian and African predator lion, keepers are ensuring that Moja is large and strong enough to navigate new spaces, including bodies of water. “We would like to confirm this,” the zoo said.
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Weather will also play a role in when Moja emerges from “behind the scenes” at the zoo.
“As he continues to grow, our animal care team will determine when he can be released to the public,” the Fort Worth Zoo said in a statement.
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