Pittsburgh zoo announces birth of female lion cub

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has welcomed a new addition to its facility. A female African lion cub was born on April 5, zoo officials announced in a Tuesday news release.

has news to roar about! A female African lion cub

The cub’s parents are both 9 years old -- her mother, Scarlett, and her father, Hondo.

Zoo officials said the cub is expected to make her public debut sometime in late summer.

This birth comes less than a year after Hondo arrived in Pittsburgh with the hope of successful breeding, WPXI reported.

This is the first cub for both parents.

“The cub is doing great and exceeding milestones,” Karen Vacco, the zoo’s assistant curator of mammals, said in a statement. “Scarlett is an excellent mother and has been caring for the cub well. Animal care staff are carefully monitoring healthy nursing patterns and normal maternal behavior.”

The last lion births at the Pittsburgh zoo were in July 2020, when three cubs were born to lioness Abana, officials said.

Scarlett and her cub, who has yet to be named, are currently residing away from public view in a maternity den where they can bond together, zoo officials said.

“This reflects natural behavior where lionesses seek secluded shelter to protect their young until they are strong enough to join the pride,” zoo officials said in the news release.

The cub will need to be older and demonstrate strong mobility skills before it is introduced to the public lion habitat, officials said.

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