Oshana's Cubs Debut at Lion Camp!
Posted at 8:02 am August 4, 2006 by Marcia Redding
Finally, the news everyone has been waiting for: Abena and Bakari are now 10 weeks old, and large enough to be on exhibit with Oshana, their proud mother. This morning the lion family was given access to the exhibit, after much preparation and baby proofing by the Lion Camp team!
Several days ago, we began allowing the family access to the section of the chute closest to the exhibit. The cubs were very curious about the release door, even though it was still closed. Some time was spent unsuccessfuly trying to insert chubby paws into the tiny crack at the bottom of the door.
When the door finally opened this morning, two wide-eyed cubs immediately attempted to venture out to explore their new world. However, mom Oshana had other ideas. It has been several months since Oshana has been on exhibit; we have given her the option to go out for brief periods without the cubs, but she has always declined these opportunities. The area around Lion Camp has undergone some changes due to the ongoing construction of the new transportation system; as well, Oshana seemed surprised to see the big yellow orb of the Balloon Safari. She had been accustomed to the balloon before the cubs were born, but she seemed to have forgotten about it while inside with her babies.
The first cub to venture out was immediately pulled back inside by her anxious mother. After a few minutes, Oshana did allow both cubs out on exhibit, but kept a very close eye on them, never allowing them to venture too far from the security of the house. As the cubs became more confident, they began to run, play, and wrestle with each other. It became a real challenge for Oshana to keep watch, as the cubs often ran in opposite directions. Oshana has a vocalization that she uses to call the cubs to her; normally they respond immediately by running to her. Apparently, the excitement of being outside caused the cubs to become " temporarily deaf," and ignore her calls.
Eventually, Oshana began to relax a bit, and become less concerned over the cubs' antics. However, she did have definite ideas as to how long the first outing should be. After about an hour and a half, she picked Abena up and carried her back inside. As she returned to fetch Bakari, Abena had climbed back out the door. This continued for a few minutes, until both babies were finally tired enough to stay inside for a nap.
For the next week or so we will be giving Oshana and the cubs access to the exhibit each morning. The best chance of seeing them will be to arrive as soon as the Wild Animal Park opens and head straight to Lion Camp. It is difficult to predict how long Oshana will allow the cubs to stay outside at this point. We will continue to give them the option of coming inside until Oshana is more comfortable having her babies in the exhibit. Eventually, we will be able to post exhibit times so everyone can be assured of seeing our little bundles of joy.
Bakari and Abena are beginning a new chapter in their lives. Come and see them, and enjoy their antics as they discover the wonders of their new world!
Marcia Redding is a senior mammal keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
Here's video of the cubs' debut.
Read Marcia's previous blog, Lion Cubs' First Exam.
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August 4th, 2006 at 10:52 am
What a beautiful family!! Are there other lions in the exhibit with the family? Would they be aggressive to the babies?
August 4th, 2006 at 11:09 am
Thanks, Marcia, for the update and the great picture. I hope to see them tomorrow, if I can get there in time.
August 4th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Will there be any video released?
Editor's note: We hope so! Stay tuned…
August 4th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
Thank you, Marcia, for the update and letting us know Bakari and Abena are finally out and on exhibit. I will be coming tomorrow morning to see them– I can hardly wait to see these 2 little cuties in person. What a great family and Oshana sounds like she is a great Mom watching over them very closely. What great news that they are finally out and we can finally see them….
August 4th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Thanks so much for the video and update! As always, Marica, your stories are vivid and wonderful.
What feisty babies they've become…far from the sleepy, wobbly bundles of fur just a few weeks ago. Such adorable little ones!! And Oshana looks beautiful as ever…she's such a great mommy. Must have been tough keeping up with those balls of energy! Looking forward to more updates as our babies grow big and strong. Thanks again!!
August 4th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Marcia, leads me to pester you with more questions. Firstly, it states the gender of the cubs has not been determined; however, you've referred to Abena as female and Bakari as male and go so far as to mention 'her mother' above. I know that you left some leniency when you mentioned it the first time, but I figured after their first physical you would know for certain. Is there still some ambiguity? Secondly, it mentions that " [a] second lioness gave birth to three cubs July 19." Would this lioness be Mina or Etosha? If the mother is Mina, will there be any interaction with the three adult lions of the pride and the 5 cubs once the newest batch of youngsters is old enough to safely negotiate the lion camp? I'm guessing it is Mina, since the commentary states " [i]n the afternoon, the cubs' father, Izu, will be visible at Lion Camp," with no mention of Mina. Sorry to seemingly always have questions…and thanks in advance since you always do a great job of addressing questions.
Thanks for the video as well; however, the posted commentary
Editor's note: It was indeed Mina that gave birth to three cubs on July 19. Look for Marcia's future blog about this happy event!
August 5th, 2006 at 11:05 am
Jennifer, I understand your confusion. A blog about Mina and her cubs will be posted Monday, so you'll have the details then. The sex of Oshana's babies were ambiguous for some time. Abena certainly is a female. It is our suspicion that Bakari is also female. When Bakari was born, she had a swelling under her tail that appeared to be a scrotum. However, this disappeared over a period of time. We believe she had a small wound under her tail that we could not see, and as it healed, the swelling went down. The cub's first exam had to be quick for Oshana's sake. They will have their second exam in 2 weeks which will be more thorough, and we will " officially" confirm Bakari's sex. We will not change Bakari's name for a couple of reasons….it is suitable for a female also, and Bakari has already started to recognize her name. We have begun hand feeding both cubs with bits of carnivore diet. This is the first step in their training, and they both appear to be smart as a whip.
Michelle asks if there are other lions in the exhibit with Oshana and the cubs…not at this time. We will allow the cubs time to become thoroughly familar with the exhibit first. We are still considering how to introduce the family to Izu, their sire. We will be very careful so the cubs are not in any danger. We believe Izu will do well with the cubs as he has been aware of their presence since they were born. Oshana is also a very protective mother. When she and Izu were together, she definately seemed to be dominant over him. All this bodes well, but we still have no timetable for a possible reintroduction. Most probably we would wait until the cubs were older before making an attempt.
Thanks for the questions! I really enjoy answering them, and it's wonderful that everyone is so interested.
August 5th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
We plan to see these beautiful babies tomorrow. So exciting. The video of their play is wonderful! Thanks for getting them on exhibit. And now Mina's triplets. How wonderful! Looking forward to Monday's blog.
August 7th, 2006 at 6:29 am
Thanks, Marcia, for the exciting news about our little bundles of fur. I laughed out loud reading about Oshana trying to get them back inside. I wish Ohio wasn't so far away ;o( Please keep the news and pictures coming - and during their exam in a couple of weeks, give them a little scratch under the chin for me, ok?!
August 7th, 2006 at 7:09 am
How exciting!! Wish I could be there to see the cubs. Maybe I can talk someone into taking a ride with me soon!
I do have another question or two for you, Marcia. You say Izu is aware of the cubs; has he met them at all, or will he be introduced to them soon for the first time? Is it true that since they are females (almost sure)..that it will be easier to introduce them to Izu, as he won't find them as much a threat as a male cub ( in fear of taking over the pride)? And do Oshana and Izu interact at all at this time, so they are still used to each other, or will they have to get to know each other again, so she feels comfortable with Izu being around her babies?
Sorry if any of my questions are repeated from others. And will the same arrangements be made for the other cubs born to Mina? Thank You, Marcia, and I cannot wait to see any and all video posted of the cubs. Hope it comes soon !! =)
August 7th, 2006 at 9:10 am
Lainie (#10), on the Pandacam page there is a link to a delightful video of mom and the cubs out in the enclosure. Such fun to watch! Some of my family and I were fortunate to see them at the WAP Saturday morning. Oshana kept a very close watch on them and tried several times to get them back indoors. She would pick up one cub by the nape of its neck and carry it in; then as soon as she came out that cub was also back outside. This went on and on, to the great delight of all us viewers. It was hard to tear ourselves away! Marcia, thanks so much for these great blogs and for your answers to so many questions!
August 7th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Shirley - (#11) Thank you much for pointing that out for me !! =) Appreciated!! And how lucky you were to be there for their first appearance!!
August 7th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
What a beautiful family - absolutely adorable!! I will make it a point to get out there soon and see them in the morning when they are full of energy. Gosh, I remember being " temporarily deaf" when I was a kid and didn't want to come in for dinner… ; )
August 7th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
I can't wait to see them! One more day, one more day…. And how wonderful that Mina's cubs are finally here, too. Thanks, Marcia, for all the updates. I'm looking forward to their continuing adventures.
August 8th, 2006 at 11:44 am
Marcia:
Thanks for the updates and for the adorable video. I so envy you being able to catch glimpes throughout the day! I am excited to hear about the triplets, too. So many babies….
Please keep us posted!
August 14th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Just returned from the WAP to see how Bakari and Abena have grown & learned to get up on the rocks close to the windows; what a delight to watch them discover the people on the other side of the window. They certainly put on a show, jumping on the window and scratching the window when people had their cameras and hands on the window. I have to make sure I go to see them at least once a week as they are growing and learning all the time. I think it is great to be able to see them and to watch them grow and learn every day. Oshana is still watching over Abena and Bakari; she is such a great Mom, but she still tries to get them in to the den and the cubs want nothing to do with it, they love being outside running around and exploring everything.
I couldn't get myself to leave; I spent the whole time watching these beautiful cubs and their Mom until they went in.
August 15th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
It's so nice to see more beautiful and healthy cubs since Koza's tragedy! May these new babies blossom and grow up to be the majestic creatures God created them to be! Can't wait to see them when I visit southern CA at the end of the month! This is exciting!!!!