A collaborative effort between French, Hungarian, and Zagreb zoos forms part of a global program to protect African lions, whose wild population faces critical endangerment.
Zagreb City Zoo has a powerful new addition: roughly two and a half weeks ago, around July 9th, a new pair of African lions arrived to become the institution's latest stars. Male Uganda comes from the French zoo in Sigean, while six-year-old lioness Tayri was transferred from the Hungarian zoo in Veszprém. This is no coincidence, the transfer is part of a coordinated international effort to protect the species.
The African lions now living in Zagreb belong to the northern population of the species, which is critically endangered in the wild. Habitat loss, hunting, and the fragmentation of natural ranges have caused a dramatic decline in lion numbers across Africa. That is precisely why zoos throughout Europe participate in EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) programs, which coordinate international breeding efforts and help maintain healthy captive populations.
The arrival of Uganda and Tayri at Zagreb Zoo is about far more than a new attraction for visitors. These two lions represent a symbol of the global effort to pull a species back from the brink of extinction. Through animal exchange programs linking Sigean in France, Veszprém in Hungary, and the Zagreb institution, zoos safeguard the genetic diversity of their populations and build reserves that could prove vital to the species' long-term survival. The new pair will be open to the public, giving visitors the chance to come face to face with these magnificent animals and learn more about why protecting them matters.
