TIGERS: At the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum
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| Cats by John Seidensticker and Susan Lumpkin Zoo Store Online |
The Great Cats exhibit on Lion/Tiger Hill features Sumatran tigers and African lions—living, breathing, roaring great cats. They are ambassadors for their wild relatives, and for the Zoo’s conservation and science initiatives for tigers, lions, and many other cats, which, even if not great in size, are still great!
Exhibit Notice
Due to construction and repairs around the Great Cats exhibit, one of the three yards will be closed until the project is complete. We apologize if you do not see all the lions and tigers during your visit.
Lusaka, the Zoo's Elderly Lion, Has Died
The National Zoo lost its senior female lion, Lusaka, late on January 14. A final pathology report will provide more information, but her health had been in decline for several months.
Staff, volunteers, and visitors will miss her.
In early 2009, Lusaka developed a mass under the skin on her back. When the mass began to change shape, Zoo veterinarians performed a biopsy. The test results revealed that the mass was a fibrosarcoma, a cancerous tumor that occurs not just in lions, but also in domestic cats. The tumor was removed by outside veterinary oncologists, and the lion had been on oral medications to slow potential regrowth of the tumor. The Zoo’s animal care staff trained Lusaka so they could collect blood from her tail while she remained awake, which allowed them to better assess her condition.
Lusaka, named for the capital of Zambia, arrived at the Zoo’s Great Cats exhibit in September 2003 from the Wildlife Waystation, an animal sanctuary in the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles. Her origin is unknown as she was rescued from a private breeder. Veterinarians suspect her birth year to be 1991, an estimate that made her 18 years old by the end of 2009. The lifespan of a wild lion is usually about 15 years; for a zoo lion, that number can be 20 years or higher.
Many zoo animals participate in a breeding program called the Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP scientists determine which animals breed by considering their genetic makeup, nutritional and social needs, temperament, and overall health. Because her genetic history was unknown, Lusaka never participated in the SSP for lion management. Rather than breed, she served as an educational ambassador for her species, illustrating the social nature and behavior of lions to scientists, keepers and Zoo visitors.
The Zoo is now home to three lions. Shera and Nababiep can be seen in a yard at Great Cats together, and Luke can be seen on his own. The lions are outside at different times, and their schedules vary. The Zoo's great cats are on exhibit every day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
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Lions
Tumai Returns to the Zoo
Tumai, an adult female cheetah, has been transferred from the Zoo's Cheetah Science Facility in Front Royal Virginia, to the Zoo's Cheetah Conservation Station. The facility is the center of the Zoo’s international cheetah research program in which scientists study cheetah biology to ensure good health, reproduction, and self-sustaining populations in zoos and in the wild. It also allows us to have cheetahs on our two campuses and rotate cats between them. 
Learn about cheetahs.
Lots of Cats
One cheetah lives at the Zoo's Cheetah Conservation Station. Three tigers and three lions live at Great Cats. Fishing cats and clouded leopards live on Asia Trail. Learn about cats at the Zoo.
Lions and tigers are on exhibit between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., daily (weather permitting).
Cat Conservation
Large
or small, cats are graceful, specialized, and powerful
animals. Yet, they are among the most endangered. Zoo
conservation biologists are working with colleagues
on lions’ home ground in Africa, and tigers’
in Asia, to develop the scientific understanding necessary
for effective conservation. Zoo scientists are studying
the ecology, behavior, and reproductive biology of tigers,
lions, and many other cat species, including cheetahs,
clouded leopards, and fishing cats. 
