Auckland Zoo Lions
Auckland Zoo in 2000 had four lions:
Tonyi and Tombo (brothers born 1996 at the Philadelphia Zoo)
Female Kura (born 1998)
Female Sheeka (born 1999 - handraised at Mogo Zoo)
In 2001:
Kura gave birth in May to four females: Amali, Amira, Kuchami, Kutaza. The father was Tonyi.
Sheeka gave birth in August to three females: Djane, Djembe and Zhara. The father was Tombo.
In 2002:
Sheeka's cubs Djane, Djembe and Zhara moved to Wellington Zoo
Kura's cubs: Amali and Kutaza moved to Adelaide Zoo, Kuchami moved to Taronga Zoo and Amira stayed behind.
In 2003:
Kuchami gave birth to two cubs in August named Asali and Johari. The father was Taronga's male Jambo.
Tonyi and Tombo left Auckland Zoo to go to Melborne Zoo.
New male lions arrived at Auckland from South Africa: Lazerus and Ngala.
In 2004:
In January Amali (renamed Yizi) gave birth to four cubs at the Adelaide Zoo. One died but 2 males and one feamle survived.
In March Amira gave birth to two cubs at the Auckland Zoo. A male Zulu and a female Zalika. The father was Lazerus.
In May Kura gave birth to four cubs: males Malik and Amari and females Tiombe and Kibara. The father was Lazerus.
In 2005:
None of the six cubs born at Auckland Zoo in 2004 stayed. Zulu and Malik went to Wellington. Amari to Mogo Zoo and the feamles Zalika, Tiombe and Kibara to Monarto Zoo.
2006-2008:
Auckland Zoo now has five lions: Kura, Sheeka, Amira, Lazerus and Ngala. Sheeka can no longer breed and Kura and Sheeka are on contraceptive implants.
Did you know: Tonyi and Tombo had another lion in their litter, a sister called Nakanda who was a white lion. Therefore Auckland Zoo's youngest lioness Amira (Tonyi's daughter) carries the white lion gene (I think!).