It’s a boy — the Fort Worth Zoo welcomed arguably the cutest little addition to its lion pride.
Moja — which is Swahili for “one” — was born at the zoo on October 20, 2023, to first-time mom Saba and dad Jabulani.
Moja was born at the zoo on October 20, 2023. | Photo by Fort Worth Zoo
The zoo said Saba and Moja have spent a lot of time together behind the scenes as the cub grows and is closely watched by its keepers. Moja is still nursing but has been introduced to a meat diet, and he now tips the scales at just 16 lbs.
Moja is the first cub born in the new “Predators of Asia & Africa” lion exhibit, and zookeepers want to make sure he is big and strong enough to navigate the new space before his grand appearance.
The zoo said Moja hasn’t met Jabulani or the other female adult Abagabe yet, but introductions will be planned soon as the cub continues to grow.
The zoo’s three adult lions came from a wildlife facility in South Africa in 2012, introducing a new bloodline of lions into North America and varying the gene pool. The zoo said, “With this birth, we are proud to continue to contribute to the conservation of this vulnerable species.”
Moja joins the growing list of babies at the Fort Worth Zoo. In case you need more reasons to visit, here are some of the other new additions:
November 2023
Black-and-white Colobus monkey Corey — named after World Series-winning Texas Rangers player Corey Seager — was born. She can be seen in the World of Primates exhibit.
February 2023
Travis became the fifth male Asian elephant calf at the zoo and was born to first-time mom, Belle, and dad Romeo. Travis can be seen in Elephant Springs.
November 2022
Bruno is the second western lowland gorilla to be born at the zoo. He was born to parents Gracie and Elmo and can be seen in the World of Primates exhibit.