Longleat lions - what are their names?

Hunting dogs

Well-Known Member
I always love seeing the lions when I go to Longleat and wonder if anyone can tell me the names, ages and sexes of the lions currently present, including all the gorgeous cubs born in 2011! I understand from the Longleat website that 2 or 3 new adult males arrived in 2011 - where did they come from, which pride do they live in at Longleat and what are their names?
 
Longleat currently holds two prides of African Lion at present. The first pride, Pride 'A' is made up of one (adult) male and seven (adult) females plus the cubs;

Pride 'A';
Nibalo- adult male, arrived from Germany.
Yendi- adult female, offspring of 'Mafui'.
Luna- adult female, offspring of 'Mafui'.
Jasira- adult female, offspring of 'Kabir'.
Malaika- adult female, offspring of 'Kabir'.
Sweet-pea- adult female, offspring of 'Kabir'.
Little Jas- adult female, offspring of 'Kabir'.
Mildred- adult female, offspring of 'Kabir'.

Nibalo sired ten cubs in 2011 with Malaika, Luna and Yendi. The cubs are;

Tanya, Kianya, Eve and Klaus (Yendi x Nibalo).
Simba, Enzi, Nyota and Nala (Malaika x Nibalo).
Sylvester and Kink (Luna x Nibalo).

Pride 'B';
Henry and Hugo- adult males, arrived from Knowsley.
Lunya, Nikita and Kimya- sub/adult females, arrived from Blackpool.
Louisa- sub/adult female, arrived from Noah's Ark via Linton.

They're might also be one or two adult (Old) females from 'Charlie's' old pride in Pride 'B' however I'm not quite too sure.
 
Tying up a few loose ends

Which month were Luna’s cubs Sylvester and Kink born in? Are they 2 males, 2 females or one of each?

When I visited Longleat in July 2003, Pride A consisted of an impressive, dark maned male (who I suspect was Mfue) and 5 adult females, whilst Pride B comprised an old male (who I think was Charlie) and 6 old females. Can you confirm the ID of these lions?

I was rather puzzled when I next visited Longleat in early 2008 and found that the 2 prides had switched enclosures – Pride A now seemed to be Charlie’s group of 6 lions whilst Pride B was led by a male called Kabir. I know Kabir well from his time at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent, and knew that he arrived at Longleat at the end of 2004 at the age of 10 years. Was Mfue still present in early 2008 and, if so, where was he? And where had Luna and Yendi been before Kabir was introduced to them – were they part of Mfue’s group (Pride A in 2003)? I know that these 2 females were sired by Mfue in 2001, but I don’t know the names of any of the females in Mfue’s group, so am uncertain as to whether they really were part of this group in 2003!

I next visited Longleat in October 2010 I saw about 5 adult lionesses on a platform in the first lion enclosure (Pride A) but the male was not visible. I had to hurry through Pride B’s enclosure because I was running late and wanted to try and see the Canadian timber wolves in the next enclosure, but only 1 lion was visible here, an adult female resting on a log. Was Charlie’s pride still present at Longleat at this time?

Thank you very much for your help on my ID queries so far and sorry to ask some more questions but I just wanted to tie up a few loose ends!
 
Which month were Luna’s cubs Sylvester and Kink born in? Are they 2 males, 2 females or one of each?

When I visited Longleat in July 2003, Pride A consisted of an impressive, dark maned male (who I suspect was Mfue) and 5 adult females, whilst Pride B comprised an old male (who I think was Charlie) and 6 old females. Can you confirm the ID of these lions?

I was rather puzzled when I next visited Longleat in early 2008 and found that the 2 prides had switched enclosures – Pride A now seemed to be Charlie’s group of 6 lions whilst Pride B was led by a male called Kabir. I know Kabir well from his time at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent, and knew that he arrived at Longleat at the end of 2004 at the age of 10 years. Was Mfue still present in early 2008 and, if so, where was he? And where had Luna and Yendi been before Kabir was introduced to them – were they part of Mfue’s group (Pride A in 2003)? I know that these 2 females were sired by Mfue in 2001, but I don’t know the names of any of the females in Mfue’s group, so am uncertain as to whether they really were part of this group in 2003!

I next visited Longleat in October 2010 I saw about 5 adult lionesses on a platform in the first lion enclosure (Pride A) but the male was not visible. I had to hurry through Pride B’s enclosure because I was running late and wanted to try and see the Canadian timber wolves in the next enclosure, but only 1 lion was visible here, an adult female resting on a log. Was Charlie’s pride still present at Longleat at this time?

Thank you very much for your help on my ID queries so far and sorry to ask some more questions but I just wanted to tie up a few loose ends!

Kink and Sylvester were born on 27th September 2011. Kink is a female and Sylvester a male

Given your dates, I think your ID's on the males are correct. Mafue was "retired" along with his older females to an off show area in the park during Spring 2005. The two prides never did switch enclosures to my knowlage :confused:

Luna and Yendi were in Mafue's pride until the group was split, again in Spring 2005

Kabir was transfered to Newquay Zoo in Autumn 2007 to prevent fighting between him and his sons who were approaching maturity. Sadly he died less than six months later following a broken leg. In September 2009 Charlie was retired to Cornwall as a replacement for Kabir. He stayed there until he sadly passed away just a few months ago

As of October 2010, Longleat had no male Lions. Kabirs's remaining boys had left over the previous months with one going to Blackpool, One to Germany in exchange for the incoming male, Nibalo and the other two to Givskud in Denmark.

Charlie's females had been on there own since he'd left. During the Autumn of 2010 they were moved to an off show area (I assume the same one that Mafue and his females previously had) and their area prepared for the arrival of the younger none breeding pride in late 2010

Hope this helps
 
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