COURT HOUSE – Two 3-year-old African lions from Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. arrived at the Cape May County Zoo in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. The brother and sister lions were picked up by zoo staff and introduced to their new home at the Cape May County Park and Zoo Nov. 18, and are getting acclimated to their surroundings.
Freeholder E. Marie Hayes, who oversees the Park and Zoo, reported the safe arrival of the pair of lions. “After the loss of Brutu last May, the zoo staff worked with Great Adventure to obtain the two large cats, born at that facility in 2011,” Hayes explained in a release. In accordance with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the habitat needed to be upgraded to meet their standards. The renovations included a new and higher fence and a deeper dig barrier around the enclosure. “On behalf of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, it is with great pleasure to introduce the two new additions to our large cat collection,” said Hayes.
“I want to personally thank the Park and Zoo staff for the help in the renovation work required and the financial support of the Cape May Zoological Society. As we all know, improvements and upkeep of the zoo is costly and the safety of the animals and visitors is first and foremost in all decisions regarding the park and zoo. Projects like this are a great example of the public and private partnership we have at the Park and Zoo. Without support and generous donation by the public, we wouldn’t be able to expand the zoo and offer our residents a facility that is one of the most visited attractions in the county,” Hayes added.
“These 3-year-old lions are healthy and weigh approximately 400 pounds,” Dr. Hubert Paluch, DVM and Zoo Director stated in a release. “Considered in their teenaged years, they are very active and strong. An adult male lion can eat up to 88 pounds of meat in one sitting and its roar can be heard up to five miles away. African Lion populations in the wild have dwindled by 30 percent in the last 20 years as a result of poaching, disease and habitat loss. Currently there are only 30,000 left in the wilds of Africa. They are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.”
“It’s very exciting to have lions back in our midst, this pair will be an asset to the zoo and provide educational opportunities to help visitors understand the plight of the African Lions in the wild as well as provide an opportunity to see these magnificent animals up close and in a safe setting,” said Dr. Paluch.
