Reid Park Zoo Welcomes A New Lion King

TUCSON, AZ — Reid Park Zoo has welcomed yet another resident this year: Tony the Lion.

Tony was born and raised at the San Antonio Zoo, where he was named by NBA star Tony Parker as part of a charity auction. He will now join Reid Park Zoo's two female lions, Kaya and her daughter, Nayo, according to a news release.

“Tony is a playful and curious lion. He is fun to work with and likes to reach high and stretch to get enrichment items. For example, he has batted down pumpkins with meat treats inside with great skill,” Zoo Keeper Hannah Carbonneau said in a statement.

Introducing Tony to an existing pride will require plenty of time and patience, and Rebecca Edwards, the zoo's animal care supervisor, said it may be several weeks before all three lions will be seen together on a daily basis.

“Tony will meet the girls slowly first through smelling items they have played with, next watching them through a mesh door, and when they show relaxed behaviors, they will be able to play together,” she said. “Until then they will take turns being out on habitat.”

Only 20,000 lions remain globally; a century ago, there were at least 200,000. Reid Park Zoo has joined Disney and Wildlife Conservation Network's Lion Recovery Fund to help double the number of lions in Africa by 2050. Moving Tony to Reid Park was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, though these three lions are not currently recommended for breeding.

Tony can be visited by guests in person and online on Reid Park's Zoo Cam.