Pittsburgh Zoo's New Lion Cub Makes 1st Public Appearance

PITTSBURGH, PA — To instantly grasp the meaning of the name of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium's new four-month old female African lion cub, you have to be a total potato aficionado.

Her name is Kiazi and she made her public debut at the zoo on Monday.

Kiazi, you ask?

Here's the answer: Kiazi is the Swahili word for "potato." Her name pays tribute to her father, Hondo, who came to Pittsburgh from - you guessed it - the Idaho Falls Zoo.

“Since she is Hondo’s first offspring and he is from Idaho, keepers loved the name,” zoo assistant curator of mammals Karen Vacco said. “Hondo’s little Idaho potato!”

Pittsburgh Zoo friends submitted a total of 1,141 potential names for the potato-named Pathera leo that netted $5,705 to help support Kiazi, the lions, and other animals at the zoo.

Kiazi was born on April 5 to first-time nine-year-old parents, Hondo and Scarlett. Since then, she has been growing and getting to know the rest of her pride privately. Her playful exploration and curiosity now will be on display in the zoo's outdoor lion habitat in the African Savanna.

African lions are considered vulnerable, and numbers have declined by 50 percent over the last 25 years due to habitat loss, loss of prey, and human-lion conflict. Lions can be found in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and their habitat ranges from forest to shrubland and grassland.

African lions are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, which is vital to having a healthy, genetically diverse population of lions.

“Every lion cub birth is vital to the long-term survival of the species, and each one represents hope for the future,” Vacco said. "We hope Kiazi inspires zoo guests to learn more about lions and protect them in the wild.”