cubmeerkatfact

Lion Cub and Meerkat Fact Sheet

All About Our Lions

Ultrasounds have confirmed that Virginia Zoo lioness, Zola, is expecting cubs.
The father is the Zoo’s male, Mramba.
Zoo staff has not predicted the exact date of the birth, but expect it to be soon because the gestation period for a lion is 110 days.
Zola and Mramba also are parents of cubs born on August 19, 2007 at the Zoo. The birth of Granby and Neka represented the first large carnivore birth at the Virginia Zoo in 35 years.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) manages the animal collections of its member zoos, and places animals to ensure the best possible care and participation in managed breeding programs.
The AZA has identified permanent homes for Granby and Neka at zoos on the West Coast, where they also will be on exhibit and part of the zoos’ lion breeding program. Granby and Neka will be relocated in the near future.
The Virginia Zoo’s lions are part of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP).
SSP animal are some of the most critically endangered species on the planet. Their wild and captive genetic populations are monitored and closely managed in captivity as in most cases the loss of one or the other population would clearly lead to extinction of the species.
Other Virginia Zoo animals in the SSP program are Eastern Bongo, Elephant, Fennec Fox, Fiji Island Banded Iguana, Goeldi’s Monkey, Ground Hornbill, Mandrill, Ocelot, Red Panda, Tiger and White Rhino.
Not all of the animals in the SSP program at the Virginia Zoo are intended for breeding. In some cases, the Virginia Zoo provides homes for animals that are post-reproductive, creating space at zoos operating breeding programs to house other animals. Examples include the Elephants and White Rhino.
Our lions are very vocal and their roar can be heard all the way over to the barnyard. Usually they roar in the morning.
The lion is found throughout the south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa.
Lions are the only truly social cat species.
They spend their lives clustered into groups known as prides which consist of a single dominant male and several closely related females.
Females hunt as a team to kill a communal meal. Males eat first, then females, then cubs.
Males are mainly concerned with defending and marking the pride’s territory.
The roar of a lion can be heard for up to 5 miles.
The mane on a male lion not only serves as a form of intimidation by size, it also protects the throat of the lion from his enemies.

The Meerkat Mob

Slate is a young male meerkat who is joining the Virginia Zoo’s females, Pat and Rosie.
Slate comes from the North Carolina Zoo and Virginia Zoo staff hopes that he will breed with the females.
The Virginia Zoo was able to acquire Slate after it sent its older, non-reproductive male, Barky, to the Los Angeles Zoo to be a companion to LA’s older male Chico.
A group of meerkats is called a mob.
Meerkats are sociable, but very territorial. The Virginia Zoo staff has been working on introducing Slate to the females in controlled environments before putting them on public exhibit. The process has gone very smoothly.
To facilitate the bonding of the unit, staff excavated the exhibits old tunnels and burrows and installed new soil. This will encourage the meerkat threesome to work together to create tunnels and a new habitat.
Meerkats weigh about 2 pounds each.
They are great diggers and love to lounge in the sun.
Their native home range is Southern Africa/Kalahari Desert.
Meerkats live in grass-lined burrows that may be shared with grounds squirrels and yellow mongooses.
Meerkats are very territorial and will fiercely defend their homes from other meerkat mobs.
Meerkats are a tasty treat for many animals, so one always stands guard while the others forage or nap.
When not standing sentry, meerkats like to soak up the sun, using their dark skinned bellies as a solar panel to warm their entire bodies.