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African lioness welcomes Turtle Back Zoo's first-ever lion cubs

According to the zoo, Makena delivered two robust, healthy lion cubs on Saturday.

Pedro Carmona

Nov 25, 2025, 1:43 PM

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It was the first time lion cubs have been born at the zoo.

According to a post on the zoo's Instagram page, the birth of the cubs "represents a full year of efforts by our Animal Care and Veterinary teams to fulfill recommendations from the African Lion Species Survival Plan."

The zoo says Makena and her cubs are currently under close watch.

“With lion populations rapidly declining in the wild, these milestones are even more important to securing a future for lions in zoos,” the zoo posted.

There was no time frame for when the cubs would make their zoo debut for the public.

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