The Fort Worth Zoo welcomes baby lion Moja, born in October 2023, marking the first lion cub since 2015. The zoo emphasizes care, growth, and bonding with his parents, according to a Fortworth article. In it they say,

“With the birth of a baby lion cub — the first such birth since 2015 — the Fort Worth Zoo, for all intents and purposes, is becoming a full-time nursery for a litany of exotic critters.

While the announcement came Thursday morning, news of a baby cub — named Moja (pronounced mow-jah) — has clearly been under wraps for a couple of months as, according to the zoo, the male cub was born Oct. 20, 2023 to mother Saba and father Jabulani. During this time, the little lion has been “behind the scenes growing and bonding with Mom, while keepers have kept a close eye on his development and wellbeing.””

Moja, the baby lion, is currently off-exhibit, bonding with his mother. Zoo officials haven’t decided on his public display yet, but he’s actively exploring and playing, according to a UPI article. As per the report, 

“Moja is still being kept in an off-exhibit area with his mother and officials have not decided when he will go on public display.

“This little guy is learning what play means and can usually be found pouncing and playing with mom,” the zoo said in a Facebook post.”

Saba and Jabulani, born in South Africa, arrived at the Fort Worth Zoo in 2012, diversifying the lion gene pool. Moja’s public debut is pending, so stay tuned for updates.