The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has news to roar about! A female African lion cub was born on Sunday, April 5, to nine-year-old parents: mother Scarlett and father Hondo. The cub is expected to make her public debut in late summer.

The pitter patter of lion paws comes less than a year since Hondo arrived in Pittsburgh with the hope of a successful breeding. This is the first cub for both Hondo and Scarlett. “The cub is doing great and exceeding milestones,” says Assistant Curator of Mammals Karen Vacco. “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.”

Scarlett and her cub are currently residing away from public view in a maternity den where they can bond in comfortable, quiet surroundings. This reflects natural behavior where lionesses seek secluded shelter to protect their young until they are strong enough to join the pride. Lion cubs typically weigh two to three pounds at birth and are born blind and open their eyes within a week or two. Zoo veterinarians are performing routine health checkups.

Hondo and Scarlett’s pride and joy will need to be a bit older and demonstrate strong mobility skills before she is introduced to the public lion habitat, most likely in late summer. Adult lions will remain visible to the public.

The birth of the cub is a major victory for the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s Lion Species Survival Plan, a nationwide effort to ensure genetic diversity among animals in human care. African lions are considered vulnerable in the wild, facing threats from habitat loss, conflict with humans, and declining prey. The birth and successful development of the cub is a positive step for conservation efforts and the future of the species. The last lion births at the Zoo were in July 2020 when three cubs were born to lioness Abana.

The Zoo will regularly share news of the cub’s development on its social media pages (@pghzoo) as the summer progresses.