The Pride is Complete!
Posted at 3:34 pm February 6, 2008 by Marcia Redding
As you big cat fans know, Lion Camp at the Wild Animal Park has been a very busy place. Oshana and Mina’s combined family of seven lively cubs has been keeping everyone on their toes. The pride has had access to the exhibit for about a week, and the little ones have really made it their own (see Marcia’s previous blog, Lion Cubs Debut). The one missing link has been Izu, sire of all the cubs and all-around great dad. Although he has had access to the rest of the pride through an introduction screen, he had not actually been in the same space as his family…until Tuesday (February 5)!
As you may remember, Izu had been a good father to his previous litters (see blog, Lion Cubs Meet Dad). We decided to proceed as we did with his first offspring: a brief intro inside the house, then straight out into the exhibit. When the divider was finally removed, the cubs ran straight toward their father. They had been eager to meet him face to face for quite some time! However, as Izu had learned from his last cubs, he needed to be very careful when interacting with the babies at first. If Mina or Oshana felt the cubs were in any danger, he could be in big trouble! Mama lions are very protective of their young.
Once again, Izu proved himself to be the ideal lion dad. When faced with all seven cubs in a confined space, he lay down and purposely did not look directly at them. This behavior let Mina and Oshana know that he did not intend to harm the cubs. It took a lot of restraint to keep his cool: precocious daughter Sarabi ran directly to him and pulled on his whiskers!
As soon as we were sure the moms had accepted Izu’s presence, the whole pride was released into the exhibit, together at last! Izu was interested in the cubs, but continued to be very careful not to make any moves that could be construed as aggression. Oshana and Mina relaxed and greeted their mate with rubs and vocalizations. Eventually, the cubs boldly approached their enormous parent; they were particularly fascinated by his mane. Several of his offspring got up the nerve to tug on the luxurious hair.
Izu soon became overwhelmed; seven lively cubs will test anyone’s patience! He slowly moved off, followed by his eager offspring. Finally, he found refuge on top of the packing crate next to the Land Rover (a gutted vehicle placed in the exhibit for the lions to enjoy. The cubs are still too small to be able to climb that high, but were able to chew and pull on Izu’s tail as it hung over the edge. Eventually, they left him alone and ran off to amuse themselves.
After a couple of hours, we attempted to bring the family inside. This proved to be more difficult than we anticipated. Oshana, Mina, and five out of the seven cubs came in right away, but Ingozi and Sarabi refused to come in until Izu did. This was a bit of a waiting game, but eventually everybody was back inside, and big brothers Kamau and Zenda had their turn on exhibit.
Once again, Izu has impressed us with his handling of this potentially volatile situation. We are very proud of him!
Izu and his family will be on exhibit first thing in the morning. The behavior of the group will dictate how long they will be out, so your best bet is to arrive early and head straight to Lion Camp. The Lion Camp pride is now complete – a beautiful sight!
Marcia Redding is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
More images have been added to the Lion Photo Gallery…
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February 6th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
What an absolutely joyful blog to read - and I never for a second worried about Izu and his 7 little tormentors… I mean cubs! I knew he would be a great, great dad - just like before. How could a cub not be tempted to tug on his amazing mane and tail - heck, I would be tempted too! Thank you for the update - it was such a welcome distraction from the thoughts of our little elephant Baby and her passing. I hope everyone takes good care of themselves at the WAP and stays healthy. Looking forward to the photos and video - my plan is to sneak out of the office one day next week and visit them in person.
Moderator’s note: Me too!
February 6th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I’m gathering SDZ realized it’s blog readers needed to smile for a few minutes…… and that, we did !!
Sounds like a given with Izu to walk on egg shells around the girls with the little ones,
gotta keep the ladies happy !! Cannot wait to see photo’s of Izu and the entire pride together at last.
Another fantastic and challenging job done by the SDZ/WAP !!
February 6th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I am so proud of our Pride! Kudos to all of the keepers and those involved and whose dedication and wonderful care made this all possible! I can’t wait to see them. Oshana and Mina are such beautiful lionesses and of course incredibly regal and beautiful Izu is truly the benevolent King. I imagine that the antics of the cubs under the watchful eyes of their moms and dad will truly be better than a session of therapy to us all.
Blessings to You All with Love, Judy J
February 6th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Awww! What a marvelous and heartwarming update!
I knew Izu would be a terrific dad - good job big guy! How cute his little ones are…I especially love how fearless Sarabi got herself acquainted with daddy right away. Izu must be smitten with his girls and sweet babies. Thanks for your great care for these magnificent animals!! Keep the updates and pics coming!
February 6th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
What a great uplifting blog - we all needed somthing to smile about after the loss of your elephant calf. A super papa.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
That is just the coolest! Thanks for a great blog post on the wonderful lion family! So sweet to have such good, happy news after the sadness of yesterday. All the best to everyone at the Zoo and the Park and my fellow animal lovers who post comments.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I agree with Cheryl #1 !! What a great blog to read. I can’t wait to see pictures of the whole pride. We are sure greateful that dad knew enough to keep his ladies happy and not rebuff or threaten the little terrors. I’m sure they will most likely annoy him constantly, and grateful that he has that land rover to retreat to.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:34 am
WOW!!! That must be an incredible sight! Izu once again deserves a medal for fatherly patience, restraint, and gentleness. Now the job of teaching the cubs manners begins. Oshana and Mina will appreciate a third set of eyes, ears, and paws to keep track of these rambunctious litters of 7 cubs.
It is great to hear good news about little ones born in November after the heartbreak of losing the female elephant calf.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Great update. Looking forward to reading future updates
February 10th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Hi Marcia,
What a beautiful sight indeed. We arrived at the Wild Animal Park Lion Camp on Sunday, Feb. 10th, at 9:10 AM. Fortunately, it was early enough to enjoy up close views of the pride. Izu greeted everyone by jumping up on the platform near the entrance to see all the guests admiring him (we were nose-to-nose with just an inch of Plexiglas between us). What an awesome sight. The cubs (all seven of them) along with Izu, Mina and Oshana were taking turns licking a circular treat, which appeared to be stuck to the ground near the viewing window. A visitor said that it was perhaps a piece of ice with some goodies in it? It was about 7-8″ diameter and about 10″ high. They all took turns licking it. (Marcia, do you know what this treat is?
After a while, Oshana and Mina with the cubs following close behind were all running, wrestling, jumping and having a great time. Everyone began oohing and ahhing with each lion interaction. We all followed the Lion family along the path to the open viewing area. Oshana and Mina would always interact with the cubs. Izu watched from a distance. By the way, Izu is without a doubt a strikingly handsome lion!
A few of the cubs would wander around the exhibit, others would play together and one in particular decided to take a nap and enjoy some warm sunshine. Later, Izu approached the sleeping cub. (Most of us watching became a little anxious.) Izu lovingly licked the cub. Almost immediately, one lioness casually walked over to Izu and grabbed him by the lower part of his mane, pulling and roaring until Izu jumped away. Fortunately, no harm was done. Izu moved away and climbed on the roof of the Land Rover for some quiet time.
About 15 minutes later, Izu left the area and walked towards the front of the exhibit area. Oshana and Mina decided to share the roof of the Land Rover. They both looked so very sweet, facing the same direction, watching their cubs. Well, guess what? All the cubs wanted to join their Moms on the roof. Oh what fun it was watching all seven cubs trying their best to climb onto the roof. They were all able to climb into the Rover and settled in the “front foot well” of the jeep, one on top of the other – a pile of cubs
. While the cubs were trying so hard to get up on the roof, the crowd of viewers was loudly cheering them on.
The cubs tried valiantly to climb on the roof. They tried to grab onto the front window frames, slipping and sliding. They worked so hard, but were not successful. No doubt they will succeed in their quest to reach the top within a week or two (what do you think Marcia?). Even at this young age, they are very resourceful and determined.
It is so wonderful to witness such a beautiful part of the Lion Kingdom in action. The Lion Camp exhibit is a little piece of Africa. This extended Lion family gives us all a wonderful glimpse into the sites and sounds of a savanna in Africa. It’s just fantastic.
The cubs are growing so quickly. Now is the best time to visit and enjoy one of the most beautiful exhibits at the Wild Animal Park.
P.S. Once the cubs learn how to climb, where or where will Izu find refuge?
Marcia, we wish you were there to teach us how to distinguish these adorable cubs.
Many thanks to everyone at the Lion Camp for taking such wonderful care of these precious animals. Your hard work is appreciated.
February 11th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for the great comments, Rose N! I always love to hear from guests how much they enjoy the pride. This truly is a rare opportunity to see a complete family unit.
The round treat that you saw was a meatsicle - a chunk of ice made with the leftover meat juice from the regular diet, sometimes spiced up with some carnivore diet or beef heart. These are very popular in the summer, as you may imagine.
Izu had better rest up, because it won’t be long before there’s no place to hide! We’re sure he will do fine - he is an experienced dad, although the most cubs he’s ever had to deal with at one time was three.
Thanks again for the great feedback, and I’m sure the folks that can only visit in cyberspace appreciate the play-by-play commentary!
February 11th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I neglected to add - check out previous lion camp blogs. All the cubs have identifying shave marks. There is also a list posted near the window closer to the Land Rover to help identify who is who.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/lion-cubs-named-3/
February 11th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Rose #10 - Thank you for your “travel blog” from the WAP this weekend - it really is a magical place - I never get tired of visiting - and you described it to a tee! Thanks Marcia for posting new photos of the family - they are breathtaking - what a beautiful family!! It was fun scrolling through the photos starting in 2006 through 2008. Thank you and everyone at the WAP for everything you do to make our piece of Africa such a wonderful place to visit. I know Izu and family love it too!
February 12th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Hi Marcia,
Thanks for your reply. The meatsicle must be very yummy, the cubs and lions kept returning for more and more. We were so focused on the cubs that we never saw the sign indicating their markings. We will be more attentive on our next visit.
The latest photos posted of the Izu, Oshana, Mina and the cubs interacting are so enchanting. We never tire looking at them.
Thank you and all the staff at the Lion Camp for your unceasing dedication in caring for these amazing creatures.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I just adore looking at the pictures of the lions. Would it be possible to increase the size of the pictures in future blogs? They are just a tad too small. Thanks.
Moderator’s note: We have larger versions in our Lion Photo Gallery http://www.sandiegozoo.org/news/gallery_lion-cubs.html
February 24th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Thanks for the wonderful update and the rationale behind it all. Can’t wait to see the pride. A cub tugging at a mane, it a treat one can’t miss