KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Zoo Knoxville is introducing the public to its new lion cub. The cub is healthy and thriving after a rough start and the death of its littermates.
The male cub was born on February 17 to first-time mother Zahra and father Maji. Zahra came to the zoo in 2025 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP) to mate with Maji. The plan aims to maintain genetic diversity and species health across zoos.
After the litter was born, the zoo watched closely through den cameras to ensure natural maternal behaviors. However, staff began to notice changes in the cubs’ condition as the days progressed. A release explains that Zahra’s nursing became less consistent, even while she was becoming increasingly protective and would not leave the den.
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“Mom did a great job caring for the cub for the first couple of weeks. She was incredibly attentive and maternal. All the indicators that we liked to see were occurring. However, at about the two-week mark, we started to see inconsistent nursing. We saw a lower activity level for the cub, and that is an indicator for us that it’s not getting the nutrition and the calories that it needs to thrive,” said Zoo Knoxville COO Drew Rowan.
Rowan said that while their goal is to let lions raise lions, they felt it was time to intervene and attempt to help the cubs survive. However, only one cub survived. The zoo noted that this can take place with first-time mothers in both wild and managed care settings. The surviving cub was assessed, and the decision was made to hand-rear it…