History:

• Pilipili was born at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. He arrived in Phoenix late 2025.

• Our male, Boboo (8/16/2015) arrived on 3/10/2019 from Columbus Zoo

• He passed away on 6/28/24, after an examination revealed he had an agressive cancer on his kidneys and spleen. 

• Zuri & Kamara arrived from the Pueblo Zoo on 10/10/23. 

• Zuri gave birth on 6/3/24 to two cubs, Azizi & Jasiri

  • Azizi (means "precious" in Arabic and Swahili) (M) 6/3/2024

  • Jasiri (means "brave" in Swahili)  (M) 6/3/2024

• The cubs were transferred to Zoo Miami in November of 2025

• In December of 2025, a new male arrived- PiliPili! 

More Information:

• IUCN: Vulnerable

• Lives in prides - only cat to live in multi-sex social groups

• Prides can have up to 40 individuals of related females, sub-adult cubs, plus one or more resident males. Availability of prey plays a significant role in the size of a pride.

• Females usually stay in their mother's pride for life, unless food scarcity forces them out.

• Young males are drive out when they grow large enough to compete with the dominant males. They create coalitions, usually with brothers or cousins, and search for a pride to take over.

• Males entering a new pride will kill all the cubs that cannot run from them.

• Adult males within a pride hold tenure for an average of two years, often leaving due to evicition by another coalition of males.

• Females hunt cooperatively.

• Females raise the cubs and are the primary hunters, although amles will sometimes join females during a hunt.

• Both males and females mark their territories by scent marking with urine and roaring, which can be heard up to five miles away.

• Sleep 18-21 hours a day

• Strong competition with spotted hyenas

• Diet: Medium to large-sized ungulates

• Will take almost any animal, from rodents to rhinos.

• Females live loinger than males.

• Male lions rarely live past 10 in the wild an can live into their late teens in managed care.

• Females normally live up to 15 to 16 years in the wild. In managed care they can live into their early 20's.

• Lions stand between 3.5 and 4 feet tall at the shoulder.

• Males grow to lengths of 10 feet and weigh from 330 to 550 pounds.

• Females grow to lengths of 9 feet and weigh between 265 and 395 pounds.

Lion Diets at Phx Zoo:

• Carnivore Diet (looks like ground beef) 5 lbs. each, 4 days a week

• 2-3 pieces of chunk meat (.66 lbs), 6 days a week

• Whole chicken 1 day a week

• Bone day - Tuesdays

CONSERVATION: The Phoenix Zoo supports Lion Landscapes' work to conserve lions and reduce human-lion conflict in Tanzania by supporting the establishment and continuation of wildlife clubs in schools, as well as a teacher training program for these clubs. Students in these wildlife clubs learn about human-wildlife conflict as well as the national parks and wildlife near their communities. They also participate in conservation activities and field trips that allow them to view wildlife in a non-threatening environment.

LEARN MORE HERE: https://www.lionlandscapes.org/