DENVER — The pride at the Denver Zoo is growing.
In mid-December, the zoo welcomed a 2-year-old African lion named Tobias from the Buffalo Zoo, the Denver Zoo announced Thursday morning.
The lions are one of the first animals that guests see when they enter the zoo.
Tobias is scheduled to make his public debut during the week of Jan. 21. He will stay behind the scenes during a mandatory 30-day quarantine.
“Tobias is already showing signs that he’s feeling right at home at the zoo — he’s acclimating to his new surroundings and participating in training sessions with our care team,” said Assistant Curator of Predators Matt Lenyo. “If all goes well, we’ll hopefully have a successful match with at least one of the females, which could mean lion cubs within the next couple years.”
Vice President for Animal Care Hollie Colahan said Tobias could play an important role in maintaining a healthy, genetically-diverse population of African lions, which are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.