Twin lion cubs, born in June, can now be seen in their Fort Worth Zoo habitat
Visitors to the Fort Worth Zoo’s Predators of Asia and Africa exhibit now have two new reasons to stop by the habitat — twin lion cubs born June 29 have joined the other members of the pride in the main yard.
Imara and her brother Tamu have spent the last couple of months behind the scenes, bonding with their mother. The siblings are the latest addition to the zoo’s pride, which includes mother Saba, father Jabulani and nearly 2-year-old brother Moja. Another female, Abagebe, makes a total of six.
Zoo staff publicly announced the cubs’ birth in a news release and on social media Tuesday. The twins have already been observed wrestling with each other — an imitation of predator/prey behavior — and playing with their mother’s tail. Extra logs and stepping stones have been added to the habitat to protect the cubs and facilitate their movement in the big space.
Zookeepers are letting Saba take the lead in directing her cubs, and right now they are dividing their time between the main yard and their den behind the scenes.
The twins were given names based on their personalities, according to the release. Imara, which means “strength” in Swahili, has already shown an adventurous streak. Tamu, on the other hand, is more cautious and reserved and likes to stay close to Saba. His name means “sweet” in Swahili.
“Together their names represent the journey of conservation,” staff said in the release. “It demands strength and steadfast commitment, but the successes are oh so sweet.”
New baby lions part of breeding program
The Fort Worth Zoo is part of a cooperative breeding program that works to ensure a genetically diverse population of African lions. Saba, Abagebe and Jabulani came to Fort Worth from a South African wildlife facility in 2012. Four years later, Abagebe gave birth to three cubs, who later moved to other zoos and produced offspring of their own.
Zoo officials say Imara and Tamu represent another conservation success, and the two will help diversify the African lion bloodline even further in the United States.
Predators of Asia and African opened in June 2023 as the third phase in the Fort Worth Zoo’s A Wilder Vision. In addition to lions, the exhibit is home to animals including cheetahs, African painted dogs, Sumatran tigers, striped hyenas and two species new to the zoo — the clouded leopard and the African leopard.
The final phase of A Wilder Vision, Forests and Jungles, is still under construction.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 3:11 PM.
