FORT WORTH, Texas — Say hello to the cutest addition to the Fort Worth Zoo, North Texas.
The Fort Worth Zoo announced the birth of its first male lion cub since 2015: Moja.
Moja was born in October 2023 – weighing 2.7 pounds at four days old – and has grown over the past few months to 16 pounds, according to zoo officials. Moja was born to mother Saba and father Jabulani. He's Saba's first cub, the zoo said.
Moja 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, the zoo said in a press release. As a first-time mother, Saba is exhibiting ideal maternal demeanors, including allowing frequent nursing opportunities, bathing, playing with and carrying the cub as she moves about the den, the zoo added.
Moja hasn’t met Jabulani or the other adult female, Abagabe, just yet, but introductions will be planned in the near future as the cub continues to grow.
Because this is the first cub born in the new Predators of Asia & Africa lion habitat, zookeepers want to be sure Moja is big and strong enough to navigate the new space, including the water features, the zoo said.
As Moja continues to grow, the animal care team will determine when a public debut can take place. Temperatures and shifts in weather will also dictate the outdoor schedule. Here are more photos shared by the Fort Worth Zoo:
You can also keep track of Moja updates on Fort Worth Zoo's social media pages.
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