Denver Zoo Announces Birth Of Lion Cub

DENVER, CO — The Denver Zoo has welcomed a new African lion cub, who was born July 25 to mom Neliah, 7, and dad Tobias, 3. Both Neliah and her cub are healthy, active and alert, animal care staff said.

The cub, whose name and sex are yet to be determined, will make its debut later this summer after bonding with Neliah and meeting the rest of the pride behind the scenes in Benson Predator Ridge, the zoo said.

Half of Africa’s lions have disappeared in the past 25 years and the species faces growing threats from poaching, loss of prey and habitat destruction, the Denver Zoo said.

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The cub’s birth is a huge success for the Lion Species Survival Plan, which ensures healthy, genetically diverse populations of lions within Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions. The plan recommended Tobias move to Denver Zoo in 2018 as a potential mate for Neliah and her daughter, Kamara, the zoo said.

Neliah and her newborn cub are spending most of their time in their den box, which mimics the space she would seek in the wild, the zoo said. While she has access to other areas of Predator Ridge, she chose the den box because it gives her a sense of security.

Guests will be able to catch a glimpse of Neliah and her cub on the TV screens in Pahali Ya Simba in Benson Predator Ridge before the cub's public debut in the coming weeks, the zoo said.