Kid Territory:Critters: Camping with the Lions
It was hard to get everyone together for a photo, but here are five of the six lion youngsters that lived in the Wild Animal Park's newest habitat: Lion Camp. Now that they are older, some have moved to other areas.
Etosha took full advantage of the roomy Lion Camp exhibit to chase one of her siblings.
In the wild, adult male lions would live separately. But M'bari and Tomo were young enough to enjoy each other's company.
Mina likes to get a different look at Lion Camp happenings. She can often be found hanging out in the tree!
Wild Animal Park names: Etosha, Mina, and Oshana, (females)
M’bari, Izu, and Tomo (males)
Species: South African lion
Location: Wild Animal Park's Lion Camp
Their story
The Wild Animal Park’s newest exhibit, Lion Camp, was designed and built just for these special young cats. The six cubs were born at a zoo in Pretoria, South Africa. They traveled by jet to the Wild Animal Park when they were six months old. Their first months in San Diego were spent behind the scenes where they started lion “school.” Keepers and animal trainers worked with the soon-to-be-big cats to teach them behaviors that are helpful in taking care of them. The young lions had fun learning, and always got meatball snacks for a job well done! The youngsters learned to respond to their names, to put their paws up against the glass (so the bottoms of their feet can be checked by keepers), to move from one spot to another (called “stationing”), to go into their bedrooms at the sound of a special whistle, and to walk into a crate (so they can be transported or treated by vets).
The importance of training
The training is good exercise for the lions and keeps them thinking. Most importantly, the training helps the keepers and vets keep the lions healthy. When a lion needs a medical checkup, the trainers can instruct the cats to walk onto a scale, open their mouths, or hold still for blood or urine samples. This is much easier and safer than having to tranquilize a lion and move it to the veterinary hospital. The vets can even give the cats shots, right in the lions' bedrooms! As adult lions, they continue to learn and have training sessions.
Getting to know them
The six lions—three males and three females—were born in two different prides in October 2003 but grew up together in the Park's Lion Camp exhibit. Each has their own look and personality:
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Etosha is the largest female. She has round eyes with a “surprised” look. Surgery on her right front elbow has left some visible scars.
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Mina is smaller than Etosha. She is curious, and is sometimes seen climbing trees or trying to get the manhole covers off the sewers!
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Oshana is the smallest female, with dark tawny fur. She’s the most playful of the lions.
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M’bari is the largest and tallest male, with the biggest mane and a black v-shaped patch of fur on his chest.
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Izu is the lightest-colored male, with a thin face and a mane that looks like a mohawk! He spends a lot of time trying to be bossy around the other lions (except M’bari). He’ll steal food and even lie on top of the other cats when they’re sleeping!
- Tomo is the darkest male. He has huge ears and a big nose, and is a little fuzzier than the other lions.
Where you can see them
Now that the lions are older, they have been separated into smaller groups. Tomo was sent to another zoo and M’bari and Etosha now live at the Park's old lion exhibit, across from the tigers. Izu, Mina, and Oshana can still be seen at Lion Camp, located between Malawi Picnic Grove and the entrance to the Heart of Africa. Both Mina and Oshana gave birth to cubs in 2006 and 2008, with Izu as the proud father. Read our most recent blog about the lions at Lion Camp: Lion Cubs Turn One!
Lion Camp has many areas that offer amazing views of the lions (and views FOR the lions, as well). Just follow the arrows on the Lion Camp signs located throughout the Park.
More
Job
Profiles: Taking Care of Animals
Wild
Animal Park: Lion Camp, Heart of Africa, Harter Veterinary Medical Center
Animal Bytes: Lion
