SAY HELLO TO KHARI AND ZAHRA, THE BUFFALO ZOO’S LION CUBS AS THEY MAKE THEIR PUBLIC DEBUT
Born to mother Lusaka and father Tiberius on March 7, 2021, the two African lion cubs finally have names. Members of the Buffalo Zoo community have selected Khari for the boy and Zahra for the girl as the names via an online poll. Both cubs and mother Lusaka will make their public debut today, Thursday, May 20.
After revealing their genders to be a boy and a girl, the Zoo animal care staff selected six names for community vote. The winning name for the boy, Khari, which means “king-like” in Swahili, received 957 votes. While the winning name for the girl, Zahra, means “flower” in Swahili and received 696 votes.
Each vote was $1.00, and people could cast as many votes as they like. Proceeds generated will benefit the Buffalo Zoo and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Lion SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Program to aid in African lion conservation efforts.
“We can’t thank the community enough for helping name our two new lion cubs,” said Buffalo Zoo President and CEO, Norah Fletchall. “While I know our community will fall in love with Khari and Zahra, the money raised from this community poll will have a direct impact on lion conservation efforts in the wild.”
Starting today, Buffalo Zoo guests can visit Lusaka and the cubs daily from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Guests should know that visibility is not guaranteed as mom and cubs continue to become familiar with their outdoor habitat. For more details and additional information on Buffalo Zoo operating hours, to purchase tickets, donate, or enroll in an education program, visit buffalozoo.org.
