NEW Zoo of Brown County, WI

Three Month Old Cubs Make Their Public Debut

After much anticipation, three of the NEW Zoo’s littlest African lion cubs have finally ventured outside to explore their exhibit, frolic in what remains of the snow and interact with mom, Ajia.

Asani, Akeelah and Jamela can now be seen in their exhibit with Ajia on the weekend. Carmen Murach, Curator of Animals, hopes to unite Shambe (father) with mom and cubs within the next week. At that point, the entire pride will be available for viewing.

In a fitting tribute, the three cubs received African names, based in part, on their personalities.

• Asani (a male) means ‘rebellious’
• Akeelah (a female) means ‘wise’
• Jamela (another female) means ‘beautiful’

“The cubs are having a fabulous time exploring the great outdoors and the nice warm weather we have been experiencing” said Jessica Hutjens, senior zookeeper. “They seem especially interested in checking out visitors who approach the window in the lion huts for a closer look” said Hutjens.

The NEW Zoo’s older lion cubs, Mandisa and Masamba recently made the journey to their permanent home at the Naples Zoo in Florida. By all reports, both cubs are adapting to their environment and are doing very well.

Stop on out and meet the adorable three month old trio! On behalf of all of our creatures, big and small, we look forward to seeing you soon!

Published: February 13th, 2009