A new lion trio began appearing on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Tuesday, December 3. Disney has shared more details about them, including their names, as well as new photos.
New Lions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The lion trio consists of one male and two females. Their names are Mshango, Zahara, and Neema. The three lions are all siblings who turned 2 years old in October. Per the Orlando Sentinel, animal keeper Katie Jones with Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment department said,
They’re very playful and curious. I’m really excited for guests to see that cub-like spirit. Mshango is a little shy at first, but he’s also very curious and he’s definitely gaining confidence. Zahara is very much the leader of the group. She’s very confident and bold and playful. Neema is a little bit more shy and reserved, but she definitely follows her sister’s lead. Katie Jones, animal keeper with Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment
Just last month, Disney announced that two special lions who called Kilimanjaro Safaris home for the past decade, Dakari and Kamari, would be retiring to a conservation haven in Florida accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). They were models for the 2019 live-action remake of “The Lion King.”
In celebration of Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” Disney is once again supporting the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund (WCN) Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) and LRF’s partners.
In the last 30 years since Disney’s animated classic “The Lion King” was first released, Africa has lost half of its lion population. The LRF and its partners are working across Africa to double the number of lions in the wild by 2050.
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Disney Shares More Details on New Lion Pride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
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