New mane in town: Phoenix Zoo welcomes Pilipili, a 3-year-old lion from Chicago

PHOENIX – There’s a new mane in town at the Phoenix Zoo.

Pilipili, a 3-year-old male African lion, arrived in the Valley last week from Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. The move was recommended through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.

 

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Pilipili was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo on March 15, 2022.

The young adult is currently staying behind the scenes as he bonds with his Phoenix Zoo keepers and adjusts to the change of scenery.

He can see lady lions Zuri and Kamara from a distance, but he won’t be introduced to them until he’s more comfortable in his new surroundings.

Phoenix Zoo lion family undergoes changes

Once acclimated, he’ll join a pride at the Predator Passage exhibit that has undergone multiple changes over the past year and a half.

In June 2024, Zuri gave birth to Azizi and Jasiri, the first lion cubs born at the Phoenix Zoo since 1976.

Just weeks after the cubs’ arrival, their father, Booboo, had to be euthanized. The 8-year-old lion had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in his kidneys and spleen, and his condition was rapidly declining.

Then last month, Azizi and Jasiri were relocated to Zoo Miami as recommended by the Species Survival Plan, which promotes genetic diversity among captive animals.

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