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Lion News Archive
Oct. 21, 2022
Staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of Luke, an African lion who was humanely euthanized Oct. 19. He was 17 years old.
Sep. 27, 2022
Staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are grieving the loss of Nababiep, a female African lion affectionately called Naba, who was humanely euthanized Sept. 26....
Aug. 03, 2022
As animals age, they have more health care needs. Fortunately, our lions are eager to participate in training that helps us care for them!
Oct. 08, 2021
The lions and tigers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo who tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 the week of Sept. 13 are behaving and eating normally.
Oct. 01, 2021
The lions and tigers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo continue to be treated for COVID-19. All tigers and lions, including the three lions noted of concern in the Sept. 24 update, are improving and...
Sep. 24, 2021
The lions and tigers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo continue to be treated for COVID-19. All tigers and three lions are eating normally and improving. Three lions are of greater concern.
Apr. 29, 2021
How do animal keepers take a blood sample from an elephant or examine a big cat's teeth? Find out how training helps keepers care for animals that they can't share a physical space with in this...
Jan. 08, 2021
Lions, tigers, cheetahs and bobcats – let’s play! Keepers Katy Juliano, Adri Kopp and Amber Dedrick know how to get the big cats they work with pouncing, roaring and purring for enrichment.
Aug. 21, 2020
A new genomic study ranks the potential of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to bind to the ACE2 receptor site in 410 vertebrate animals. Old World primates and great apes, which have identical amino...
Apr. 03, 2020
From flamingo courtships to weekly weigh-ins for the African lions, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is buzzing with beastly activity behind the scenes!
Nov. 01, 2019
Fall is upon us, which means that it’s a great time to visit the Great Cats exhibit to see our African lions in action! When the temperature is between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the cats are at...
Jul. 01, 2019
Lion cubs grow up fast, and even faster in zoos. In a long-term study, scientists at SCBI found that male African lions living in human care hit puberty a full year earlier than their counterparts in...
Jun. 13, 2019
Treat dad like the king (of the jungle) he is at the Smithsonian's National Zoo!
Mar. 01, 2018
Visitors may have noticed that 12-year-old African lion Luke has had an on-again, off-again limp. As part of his treatment, the veterinary team is performing deep-tissue laser therapy,...
Apr. 14, 2017
Sometimes, even top predators need a leg up in order to survive. The recent boom in Kenya’s human population prompted people to sprawl and build their homes on the savannah. As a result, increased...
Dec. 28, 2015
For the first time in this pride, Zoo veterinarians have successfully drawn blood from a lion—a juvenile male named Jumbe—while he was awake.
May. 27, 2015
What does it take to keep up with a sextuplet of juvenile African lions? In the latest Keeper Q & A, Rebecca Stites and Kristen Clark dish on the cats' quirky personalities, training triumphs,...
Feb. 19, 2015
January 24 and March 2 mark our African lion cubs first birthdays! Animal keepers Kristen Clark and Rebecca Stites reveal what's new with the cubs in the latest Q&A!
Oct. 20, 2014
The six lion cubs at the Great Cats Exhibit are growing fast and their husbandry training sessions are in full swing!
Jul. 01, 2014
On Father's Day weekend, Shera's four cubs made their big debut at the Great Cats exhibit! Now, visitors can see the whole pride every day between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. weather permitting.
May. 06, 2014
Four African lion cubs took a brisk paddle today and passed their swim reliability test. The cubs—three males and one female—were born at the Zoo March 2.
Apr. 30, 2014
The lion cubs are all doing quite well! Naba's girls weigh about 30 pounds now, and Shera's cubs range from 19 to 20.5 pounds. Shera's cub that had the limp is showing great improvement.