Courtesy of Fort Worth Zoo
Moja Lion Cub
With the birth of a baby lion cub — the first such birth since 2015 — the Fort Worth Zoo, for all intents and purposes, is becoming a full-time nursery for a litany of exotic critters.
While the announcement came Thursday morning, news of a baby cub — named Moja (pronounced mow-jah) — has clearly been under wraps for a couple of months as, according to the zoo, the male cub was born Oct. 20, 2023 to mother Saba and father Jabulani. During this time, the little lion has been “behind the scenes growing and bonding with Mom, while keepers have kept a close eye on his development and wellbeing.”
According to a press release, Moja’s birth made Saba a first-time mother, a factoid that is at the heart of the cub’s name — Moja is Swahili for the number “one.” The release went on to say that Saba “is exhibiting ideal maternal demeanors, including allowing frequent nursing opportunities, bathing, playing with (Moja), and carrying the cub as she moves about the den.”
While Moja weighed only 2.7 pounds at 4 days old, he now clocks in at 16 pounds and “is starting to practice some innate behaviors, as he often plays with Saba’s tail as well as chews on her hindquarters to imitate predator-prey behaviors.”
Both Saba and Jabulani were born at a South African wildlife facility and made their way to Cowtown in 2012. According to the Zoo, the move introduced a new bloodline of lions into North American, varying the gene pool. Thus, the birth of Moja further diversifies the African lion bloodline in the United States, a big step for the conservation of this vulnerable population.
So, when can you pay a visit to this new, too-dang-cute addition to the Fort Worth Zoo? The Zoo says Fort Worthians will have to practice a little patience — the animal care team will determine a time that’s best for Moja — but to keep an eye on the Zoo’s social media accounts for any such announcements.
