Even at only 6 weeks old, a lion cub is ready to roar — even if the sound is as soft and squeaky as a house kitten’s cry. But with its lower pitch, it’s got the makings of more than a meow.
Every day at 3 p.m., a tiny chorus of growling can be heard at the Dallas Zoo’s lion habitat as its three new residents approach for their afternoon bottles.
“This is where training comes in, and we want to make sure we reward the polite behaviors,” senior zoologist Kymberli Becker said as one of the cubs climbed over her siblings as they eagerly drank. Becker, who was feeding the cubs along the chain-link fence, didn’t let her have the bottle until her four paws were on the floor.
The cubs — Izwi, Ilola and Tadala — are fed five times a day, and the frequent mealtimes are just one of the daily routines the zoo’s staff members must perform to get the three ready to make their public debut next week.
The zoo hadn’t delivered a litter of cubs since 1974, and the joyous occasion has been long in the making. From the introduction of their father to their birth by Caesarean section Aug. 17, their arrival has been planned every step of the way.
Perfect match
Before March, the Dallas Zoo had three lions: the cubs’ mother, Bahati, her aunt, Jasiri, and her mother, Lina.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums chose Bahati in February to breed with Kijani, from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in California.
Zoos accredited through the nonprofit association work together on species survival plans, each of which is designed by a committee of experts, said Lisa Van Slett, an animal care supervisor at the zoo.
Each year, the lion committee evaluates the needs of the species to make breeding recommendations. Factors include the size of the zoos, but the most important consideration is a lion’s genetic profile, she said.
“The overall goal is to try to have over 90% genetic diversity in a 100-year projection with enough population,” she said. “It feels simple to say, ‘Let the ones who breed well keep breeding,’ but then somewhere down the line ... you might have defects or end up with inbreeding, and you run out of choices.”
Kijani and Bahati hit it off right away, and the first-time mother was pregnant by April — only a month after Kijani arrived.
Getting ready for the public
The staff was able to figure out the date she got pregnant and counted forward 105 days, the approximate gestation period for lions.
When the lioness wasn’t showing significant signs of natural labor by about day 108, the zoo staff decided to perform a C-section.
The five-hour process of getting Bahati to surgery and back went well, but there were challenges to overcome.
When a lion gives birth, hormones are released as the cubs enter the birthing canal that trigger the production of milk, Van Slett said. The staff tried to help Bahati produce milk so she could nurse, but she was never able to, so the cubs have been fed with formula from bottles.
The release of the hormones also can trigger maternal instincts, which Bahati also missed out on. The cubs' introduction to their mother and other adults in the family has been slow and cautious.
Similar to the way new house cats are introduced, the process starts with a mesh wall or chain-link fence between the cubs and an adult so they can get used to each other. Staff members slowly work to get all the animals acquainted enough to be in a room together.
The first time Bahati met with her cubs in the same room, she was nervous and unsure what to do. But her family members were eager to help her learn — the same way they would in the wild.
“We brought in Jasiri because she has proven to us before with Bahati that she has great maternal instincts, and she’s just really sweet and gentle,” Van Slett said. “Jasiri went in there and started grooming them and licking them, and Bahati was watching and kind of learned. It was really cute, and Bahati seemed just a little more relaxed having help.”
The staff also had to help Ilola, one of the female cubs, overcome developmental problems with her legs. At birth, her front paws curled under and her back legs splayed when she walked. Two weeks of physical therapy with splints and a sling helped correct her gait.
Van Slett said Ilola was determined not to get left behind by her siblings. Her name, which means “to become strong” in the Sesotho language of South Africa, was chosen because of her triumph.
“She just was such a little fighter and so determined,” Van Slett said.
The other cubs' names were also chosen to fit them. Ilola’s brother is named Izwi, which means “vocal” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe. Their sister’s name, Tadala, means “we have been blessed” in the southeast-African Chewa language — two cubs were initially seen on an ultrasound in June, so the staff was surprised by the third cub’s delivery.
All of the babies have little black spots, almost like a cheetah’s, which will fade as they grow. For now, the cubs are difficult to tell apart, so each of them has a section of hair shaved off from a distinct spot to help identify them.
As Izwi, Ilola and Tadala develop, the zoo’s staff has been helping them to learn skills by transferring them between enclosures and getting them used to new foods and materials that will be in their habitat.
Eventually, the cubs will be prepared for when zoo visitors will get to see them up close.
But some habits will have to come from being with their family, and all their relatives will play a role in helping them grow up.
Starting next week, the cubs will spend a few hours a day in the enclosure with all the lions, and eventually, they’ll be in the public eye full time.
Van Slett said all three cubs will be at the zoo for at least two years. The females may stay for their entire lives, but it’s also possible the Association of Zoos and Aquariums will choose them to start their own families elsewhere.
Once Izwi reaches maturity, usually at 2 to 3 years old, he’ll have to move to another zoo or be kept separately from his father. More than one male in a pride creates too much competition. He, too, could be selected to start a family at another facility.
For now, Van Slett said the staff is eager to help the cubs grow.
“Going out into habitat, they have to learn where to go and how to go and when, and all of those things,” she said. “It’s a process, and I’m excited to watch them learn.”
Correction 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1: An earlier version of this article misspelled Kymberli Becker’s first name.
