Brookfield Zoo Gets Lions Again

BROOKFIELD, IL — Brookfield Zoo is welcoming the arrivals of its newest additions — two male African lions named Brutus and Titus, the zoo announced in a news release Wednesday. While the zoo has been closed to the public because of the coronavirus, animal care staff proceeded with its plan to have the two 4-year-old brothers transferred to Brookfield Zoo from Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah. They arrived March 17.

Even though the zoo is currently closed, the public can tune in at 11 a.m. Thursday to Brookfield Zoo’s Facebook Live chat of “Bringing the Zoo to You.” During the segment, Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs for the Chicago Zoological Society, which runs the zoo, will talk about Brutus and Titus, share facts about African lions, and answer questions from the public. Those who miss the live chat will be able to watch it on the zoo’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.

“Before we had to close the zoo, guests were inquiring as to when we would be getting lions again following the devastating loss of our previous pair,” Zeigler said in a statement. “We wanted to share some happy news during this trying time and are looking forward to when guests can visit the zoo to see Brutus and Titus.”

When the zoo reopens, guests will be able to see Brutus and Titus along the Big Cat walkway. Born on Feb. 24, 2016, the two lions each have distinguishing features to tell them apart, according to the news release. Brutus’s mane is long, dark, and straight. Titus’s mane is shorter than his brother’s as well as lighter in color and slightly frizzier. In addition, Titus is a few inches taller than Brutus. Animal care specialists are still getting to know the lions, the release said, but have noticed slight differences in their personalities — Brutus seems to be the calmer of the two, while Titus is more active. The brothers often sleep next to one another.

Brutus and Titus came to Brookfield Zoo based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ African Lion Species Survival Plan, in which the zoo is a participating institution.

African lions are listed as “vulnerable” according to the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The population continues to decline primarily because of hunting, loss of habitat due to residential, commercial, and agricultural development, and the bushmeat trade. Also, according to the Species Survival Commission, one of the latest threats is the rising demand by traditional Asian medicine, the news release said. With the decline in tiger populations, the illegal trade for bones and body parts is shifting to lions as an alternative. More than half of the remaining lions, which experts estimate to be between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals, reside in only 11 key populations contained within protect areas, the zoo said.