For more than 13 months the lion quartet let Mama Kigali, Papa Majo, and the animal keepers cuddle and pat them so that they have now become impressive big cats.
To the regret of many zoo visitors, Juma, Jasira, Kiyan, and Kossi will have to go their own way, the Leipzig Zoo announced. Kiyan started things off on Thursday: a new home has been found for him in a Croatian zoo, where he is to form a new pack with two lionesses.
Since these suit him well in terms of age, the opportunity was taken. « We cannot keep the offspring permanently with their parents, that would lead to conflicts between Majo and the boys, » says senior curator Johannes Pfleiderer.
This also means that Kiyan’s siblings won’t be staying in Leipzig for too long either – all three will leave the zoo this year and start a new life in other zoos.
The employees are apparently a little nostalgic too. Saying goodbye to work at the zoo is part of it, according to director Prof. Jörg Junhold. « But of course, it’s never easy with such prominent animals. »
Despite all the pain of separation, there may soon be lion cubs in the zoo again. As a reminder: After the last litter left Leipzig for Berlin, it took less than four months for Kigali and Majo to become parents again.
