Staff at a Portland zoo were surprised when a pride of lions discovered a hidden camera in their habitat. On Facebook, zoo workers wrote that the camera “didn’t stay for long” after the animals located it. The video shows lions swiping at the camera with their paws, lying in front of it, and looking straight into the lens. The show ended when a male grabbed the recorder in his mouth and walked away with it.
The animals are part of a breeding and conservation effort at the Oregon Zoo; the animals’ numbers have dwindled to around 25,000. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for African Lions program aims to manage species’ populations through cooperation with zoos and aquariums and to provide a healthy living environment, out of the wild, where animals can live as closely to their nature as possible while protected from hunting or poaching.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums says there are 300 such programs involving various animals and fish, each managed by a Taxon Advisory Group (TAG). These are responsible for developing a comprehensive population, breeding, and transfer plan “identifies population management goals and recommendations to ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied population.”
At Oregon Zoo, a video posted to social media introduces viewers to 16-year-old Zawadi, 16-year-old Kaya, 9-year-old Niara, and 9-year-old Mashavu. The two teenagers have lived at the zoo since 2009, and the younger lions were born there. Kelly Gomez, who cares for the animals, said she hopes releasing the film will inspire people to take action and help preserve the mighty beasts.
In Africa, lions once thrived across the continent, but now 80% live in the sub-Saharan region, mostly in eastern or Southern Africa. Lions are classified as a vulnerable species, with 43% of the population vanishing over the past two decades. Many African nations have taken steps to protect them, and there are signs that their efforts are paying off. War in Mozambique caused a considerable decline, but in 2021, a lion appeared in the country’s Zinave National Park for the first time in decades, prompting excitement and relief that they may be in recovery.
