The Fort Worth Zoo this week introduced two African lion cubs, a brother and sister born June 29 who will join their mother, Saba, and an older sibling as part of the zoo’s cooperative North American breeding program.
The cubs were named Tamu, which means "sweet" in Swahili, and Imara, which means "strength," the zoo said, noting the names reflect observed behavioral tendencies: keepers described the female as more adventurous and bold and the male as more cautious and often nearer to his mother.
Zookeepers said the pair were kept behind the scenes for several weeks while staff monitored their growth and maternal care. The cubs have begun displaying typical developmental behaviors, including playing with their mother’s tail and wrestling with each other to simulate predator–prey interactions. Saba has provided frequent nursing, bathing and play, and keepers are allowing her to dictate where and how the cubs spend their time, alternating between the den and the expanded main habitat.
The zoo has implemented several safety measures in the enclosure, including adding extra logs and lowering water levels to "baby proof" spaces where the cubs will roam, officials said. The facility opened a new Predators of Asia & Africa habitat in 2023 that is five times larger than the previous lion space and includes a state-of-the-art barn and additional behind-the-scenes yards designed to support mothers and cubs and to allow gradual introductions to the rest of the pride.
Tamu and Imara are the second and third cubs for Saba; their older brother, Moja, was born in October 2023. The cubs’ father is Jabulani. Their parents were born at a South African wildlife facility and were brought to the Fort Worth Zoo in 2012, a move the zoo said introduced new bloodlines to North America and helped diversify the regional gene pool for African lions.
The births are part of a larger cooperative breeding effort among North American zoos intended to maintain genetically diverse, sustainable populations of African lions. The Fort Worth Zoo said the arrivals are "both conservation successes and another advancement in diversifying the African lion bloodline in the U.S." The zoo is sharing regular updates about the cubs on its social media channels.
African lions are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Conservation groups estimate the wild lion population has fallen sharply over recent decades; Global Conservation estimated fewer than 20,000 wild African lions as of 2020, down from about 200,000 in 1975. Breeding programs in accredited zoos are intended to complement in-situ conservation by maintaining healthy captive populations and supporting research and education efforts.
The Fort Worth Zoo did not provide a public schedule for when the cubs will be visible to visitors but said the timeline will depend on the mother’s behavior and the cubs’ development. Officials emphasized that animal care decisions will continue to be guided by Saba’s cues and by the zoo’s animal welfare protocols.