The OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden sends this information as posted below:
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden’s five male African lion cubs, Hugo, Henri, Lou, Pascal, and Herman, are growing up fast and celebrated their first birthday on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. These spirited siblings are the second litter born to parents, Dunia and Hubert.
In celebration of the cubs’ big birthday, caretakers provided the lion pride, including Dunia’s sister, “aunt’ Moto, with special enrichment items for them to enjoy.
“These days, the cubs will interact with anything that they can tear up or sink their teeth into including special treats like cantaloupes and pumpkins, and lion-approved toys,” shared Tyler Boyd, OKC Zoo’s Curator of Carnivore. “However, sticks and their siblings are still the biggest hits!”
The young lion brothers are thriving and healthy. Their manes are starting to come in and will continue to grow and darken as they get older. The Zoo’s carnivore care team have also developed an operant conditioning training program for the cubs. This program is important as the cubs are learning behaviors that will be impactful as they participate in their own healthcare.
African lions are classified as vulnerable according to the IUCN with wild populations decreasing due to illegal hunting, habitat loss, loss of food sources and conflict with humans. It is estimated that the total population of lions in Africa is less than 40,000 mature individuals.
As a program partner with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)’s Lion SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction, the OKC Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for African lions which made the breeding recommendation for Dunia and Hubert. SSP programs oversee the population management of select species within AZA member zoos and aquariums. Since the opening of Lion Overlook in 1997, the Zoo has proudly celebrated the births of 21 African lions.
The OKC Zoo is also an active participant in conservation efforts that focus on mitigating human-wildlife conflict by providing farmers with resources such as predator-deterrent enclosures and livestock guard dogs which reduces conflict with lions, African painted dogs, cheetahs, and other predators. The Zoo’s Round Up for Conservation Fund supports organizations that help humans and wildlife thrive, as well as helping conserve our wild places. Guests at the Zoo can contribute to these conservation efforts by rounding up their purchases with the Round Up for Conservation Fund. Through this easy contribution, Zoo guests can make a big difference for wildlife in Oklahoma and around the world.
Follow the OKC Zoo’s socials @okczoo to see highlights from the cubs’ birthday celebration!
The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry at 4 p.m. Purchase advance Zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, and Oklahoma City’s Adventure District.
Free Press curates press releases from organizations and people we know to be reputable. If you would like to submit a well-written press release for us to publish on our site, please click the email icon at the top of this page.
