A roar-ing new resident will join the gorillas, hippopotamus and cheetahs on the African River Trail at Werribee Open Range Zoo.
The five-year-old male lion is named Sheru which means ‘lion’ in Hindi and arrived last month from the new Sydney Zoo in Western Sydney.
Sheru joins two lionesses, Nilo and Asali, but the zoo says Sheru is easily distinguished from the females by his impressive golden mane and his particularly loud vocalisations that usually increase during rainfall.
Acting African River Trail Life Science Manager, Ben Gulli, said Sheru’s arrival marks a new era for lion conservation at the zoo.
“It’s very exciting to have Sheru join the lion pride and establish a new breeding group here,” Mr Gulli said.
“Werribee Open Range Zoo has been the home to three litters of lion cubs during the past seven years and we hope
we can continue to support the conservation of this precious species in years to come.
“Sheru has settled in seamlessly and we can’t wait to see his confident and curious nature shine through over the coming days.”
Sheru is currently undertaking one month in quarantine, however zoo visitors can catch him inquisitively exploring the back area of the lion habitat.
The zoo says lions are classified as vulnerable in the wild, with their species in decline as a result of hunting and habitat destruction.
It’s estimated as few as 23,000 individuals remain in sub-Saharan Africa.
The zoo says their lions form part of an international and regional breeding program to maintain a genetically diverse pride that can support conservation of wild lion populations.
All zoo visitors must pre-book online.
Details: zoo.org.au
