Incredible Global Conservation Effort Marked By Housewarming Party For African Lion Trio

Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor

Jun 22, 2022 7:00 PM EDT

African Lions occupy a unique place in the human imagination with their beauty, grace, and power. Yet, these prolific apex predators are considered "vulnerable" according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. In the urgency of conservation among the global community to reduce species decline from climate change, poaching, and territory loss, awareness of these animals is paramount, and there are many zoos and wildlife reserves worldwide dedicated to their proliferation.

The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, Virginia, hosted a "Housewarming Party," marking an achievement in the global conservation effort and celebrating their new pride of African lions, Ansel, Asha, and Kali. Relocating from Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa, four-year-old sisters Asha and Kali will join five-year-old Ansel, who arrived in April from the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin. The trio is now beginning the official pride-building process and acclimating to their new coastal climate with plenty of fanfare, heavy-duty toys, and other enrichment items.

Story written by Alex Lemieux.

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via Virginia Zoo

It's a relatively slow introduction process for animals who haven't been together before. During one of the day's "Keeper Chats," Assistant Curator of Africa Emily Spence explained that Ansel will be acclimated over a months-long process with Asha and Kali, who just completed a 30-day transfer quarantine. Zoo caregivers will keep them separated and switch their time in certain areas so they can only hear each first and will be rotated weekly to get to know their surroundings. Progressively, they will be able to see each other from distances, then closer in neighboring indoor stalls.
By the end of the summer, Emily hopes they will be together full time. Already, though, Ansel shows signs that he's eager for a face-to-face meeting. "Ansel talks a lot to the ladies," she said.
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via Virginia Zoo

Emily iterated that lions, along with tigers and jaguars, cannot purr and speak with each other through various grunts and roars. Lions, tigers, and jaguars, all a part of the genus Panthera, have cartilage in their neck called a hyoid apparatus that differs from that of a cheetah or housecat, according to a paper published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Nevertheless, Asha and Kali don't do much conversing yet, admittedly. The lionesses "don't talk back to [Ansel] much," Emily stated. "We're hoping it'll happen eventually."
Lions are the only species of the family Felidae that form social groups. All others, including friendly housecats, typically only come together for breeding purposes. Regardless, there are some reports of lions choosing to live the bachelor lifestyle.
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via Virginia Zoo

Since Asha and Kali are sisters, they have a good base for beginning to form a pride. Up to 30 lions can create a pride, mostly of related females and their offspring. Generally, Emily explained, only four or so males will be included.
Ansel will have a big responsibility in front of him: protecting the pride. While this may not be as critical in a sanctuary setting as in the wild, he will still be very protective of his fellow lionesses, the huntresses of the pride and cub caregivers.
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via icanhascheezburger

The Virginia Zoo doesn't have the vast savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa, so Asha and Kali, 300 and 350 pounds respectively, won't be hunting antelope, wildebeest, or zebras. But they will join Ansel pouncing on geese brave enough to land on the grass. Lions can jump up to 37 feet and sprint up to 50 mph in short bursts, so the geese are outmatched on land. However, Emily explained that "the geese have learned that if they go in the water, the lions aren't likely going after them." Their natural habitat doesn't include many bodies of water, so like many housecats, they have an aversion to baths.
Apart from those natural enrichment items, the Virginia Zoo rounded out Ansel, Asha, and Kali's Housewarming Party with more gifts purchased and donated by zoo fans and enthusiasts, including, interestingly enough, fragrances.
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via Virginia Zoo

While Ansel loves the super-sized chew toys and hard rubber balls to lay on, the females love the scents and fragrances. Emily expressed that Asha and Kali's favorite is cumin, "but all of them "go crazy for [cumin], and rub it all over themselves."
"The stronger the scent, the better," she added. "I've known ones that really like Obsession for men."
Although the females may be preoccupied with colognes, their male counterpart still wants attention. Ansel, the 450-pound five-year-old, will rely on his big, beautiful mane to swoon Asha and Kali.
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via Virginia Zoo

Lions are the only sexually dimorphic species of cats. Males use their manes to attract mates, with bigger, darker, and fuller manes representing "[a lion's] best way of showing off how strong and how good of a provider they would be" to a lioness. "Ansel has this big, gorgeous mane, so he's going to be popular with our two females," Emily added.

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