On May 27th, the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens announced plans to transfer its two remaining African lions to another accredited facility.
Administrators made the difficult decision to pause its African lion program because the current 1940s-era habitat lacked the necessary infrastructure to support the animals as they entered their senior years.
11-year-old female Marvella and 10-year-old male Jasiri currently live at the enclosure. While African lions typically live 15 to 20 years under human care, veterinary staff observed increasing mobility issues for both animals.
Enclosure Accessibility Issues
The New Deal-era Works Progress Administration constructed the SF Zoo’s original Lion House 86 years ago. While the zoo made ongoing upgrades, the historic enclosure continues to present physical challenges for the lions.
“This exhibit has long been on a short-list of updating, and while some cosmetic work has been done, the reality is that the original exhibit was built for a different era. As our lions get older, they have different, individual needs, specifically, accessibility to flat surfaces,” said Tina Hunter Burnam, Curator of Carnivores, in a press release.
“There is also concern that, should an animal have difficulty climbing out of the lower moat, animal and veterinary staff have limited ways of accessing the cat.”
Panda Plans and Relocation
Zoo leadership previously earmarked the Lion House for the future housing of Giant pandas, though officials did not confirm their arrival.
“It is not feasible to build a new habitat for lions at this time, and other existing areas cannot adequately house big cats safely and securely,” said Eric Krussman, Executive Vice President of Animal Care.
The zoo will collaborate with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan to find a location that will accept Marvella and Jasiri together as a bonded pair.
Officials will announce the exact relocation timeline at a later date. Following the prior transfer of the zoo’s Sumatran tigers under an AZA breeding recommendation, the African lions were the largest big cats remaining at the San Francisco facility.
