The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announced the birth of a female African lion cub born April 5 to mother Scarlett and father Hondo, both 9 years old.
The cub is the first for both parents and is being kept from public view in a maternity den, where zoo staff say Scarlett is nursing and bonding normally. Assistant Curator of Mammals Karen Vacco said the cub is “doing great and exceeding milestones.”
Lion cubs typically weigh two to three pounds at birth and are born blind. The cub is expected to make her public debut in late summer, once she demonstrates strong enough mobility to be introduced to the main lion habitat. Zoo veterinarians are conducting routine health checks.
Hondo arrived at the Pittsburgh Zoo less than a year ago as part of a planned breeding effort. The last lion births at the zoo were in July 2020, when three cubs were born to lioness Abana.
Adult lions remain on view to the public. The zoo said it will provide updates on the cub’s development through social media.