Buffalo Zoo Continues Work in Nationwide African Lion Breeding Program Tobias the Lion Arrives Safely at Denver Zoo
Two-year-old African lion, Tobias has been relocated to the Denver Zoo, where he will join three female lions. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Buffalo Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) and has recently received a breeding recommendation to advance African lion conservation. As per the SSP recommendation, Tobias is recommended to mate with three-year-old Kamara or six-year-old Neliah.
Every cub born and successfully reared in an SSP program will make a difference for the African lion species. Listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the African lion once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe. Loss of habitat and poaching are among the fundamental causes of this classification.
“Participating in programs and partnerships like the SSP is one of the most important things we do at the Buffalo Zoo to save wildlife,” said Buffalo Zoo President and CEO, Norah Fletchall. “From his birth here at the Zoo, which was a long time coming, to his future in Denver, Tobias represents the science-based work taking place right here in Buffalo to help this iconic species and many others.”
Born in the spring of 2016, Tobias was the first lion cub born at the Buffalo Zoo in 25 years. His mother, Lelie, and father Tiberius along with lions Lusaka, Asha, Amirah, Roary, Shona and Acacia remain at the Buffalo Zoo.
