Lion Cubs At Iowa Zoo Need Names, Any Suggestions?

DES MOINES, IA — Blank Park Zoo's lion cubs are growing fast and are ready for their next milestone: names. The three babies — a male and two females — are doing well after being born underweight on Nov. 14, zoo officials said today.

Their mother, Neema, gave birth to a litter of five, but two did not survive. The surviving male cub, previously listed in guarded condition, has been upgraded to fair.

“He is continuing to gain weight and we haven’t needed to supplement his diet for several days,” said Dr. June Olds, chief veterinary programs officer. “He is ‘keeping up’ with his sisters despite the fact he is smaller.”

African lions, whose native habitat is the savanna and semi-arid regions of east and south Africa, are a carnivorous animal and in the wild their diet would include buffalo, zebra, antelope and giraffe. At Blank Park Zoo, they eat up to eight pounds of beef a day. Unlike tigers, lions conserve energy and will sleep/rest up to 20 hours a day.

The trio of cuties are the first litter for Neema and dad, Deuce. Mom has been taking good care of them, zoo spokesman Ryan Nickel said, but part of the decision about when the cubs will be on view to the public depends on her.

"They need to be at least 12 weeks old and go through their vaccinations and then we'll see," Bickel said. "Another consideration is Mom; she has to be comfortable with it."

Neema and her sister, Kadi, came to the Blank Park Zoo with recommendations that one be bred, and Neema hit it off better with Deuce, Bickel said. Since Deuce arrived before he was fully mature, the zoo had a waiting game before the two mated.

But in the meantime, it has been a "productive" year elsewhere around the Des Moines zoo.

"We've had quite a few babies this past year, starting with (Tumani) the baby rhino in October 2016 and (Lizzy) the giraffe last December," Bickel said. The zoo also welcomed two eland calves, an addax calf, two camel calves in separate births, a baby Japanese macaque and wallaby twins.

Now back to the lion cubs' names: Zoo officials will accept suggestions from the public in connection with donations, and they encourage names from African languages. For a contribution of $50 or more, donors get to suggest one name. For $100 or more, you can pick three names.

"We wanted the public to have an opportunity to suggest names for the cubs while supporting the work of Blank Park Zoo," CEO Mark Vukovich said, adding the nonprofit zoo relies on donations by many individuals, groups and organizations for support.

The name game will continue through Jan. 9 and zoo officials will release a list of finalists on Jan. 11 for a public vote online. The babies' names will be announced Jan. 19.

The Blank Park Zoo, 7401 S.W. Ninth St., is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through the winter, except Dec. 24 and 25 and Jan. 1.

Lion Conservation

Human encroachment and poaching have affected the African lion population and the cat is categorized as"vulnerable" on a list of threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The population of wild lions has decreased by 42 percent over two decades, with about 20,000 to 30,000 remaining in natural areas, the group reports. They are regionally extinct in seven African countries.

Blank Park Zoo supports The Ruaha Carnivore Project, which helps decrease lion/human conflict. The organization works with communities to build livestock enclosures and helps raise livestock-guarding dogs that live alongside and bond with livestock, fiercely protecting them from carnivores. That protects the carnivores from retaliation by farmers.

The project also is researching lions to create more effective conservation efforts and working with Massai tribes in Africa to host competitive sporting events for coming-of-age ceremonies that replace traditional lion hunts.

Photos and video courtesy of Blank Park Zoo