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SEATTLE - For the first time since 2014, Woodland Park Zoo is celebrating the birth of two African lions. The pair were born Wednesday to first-time parents, Ilanga and Tandie.
After a health assessment from the zoo's animal health team, the cubs were determined to be female.
The arrival of the cubs is a major milestone for the zoo, marking the third generation of their lineage to call Seattle home. They are the grandsons of the zoo’s former African lion, Xerxes, who was a fan favorite until his death in 2022.
What we know:
According to the news release Friday announcing the pair's birth, Ilanga is currently living with her cubs in an off-view maternity den, while Tandie, the father, remains separated until the cubs are older. Placing the mom and her cubs together ensures bonding in comfortable and quiet surroundings, the zoo said.
A lion cub was born at the Woodland Park Zoo in Jan. 2026 (Woodland Park Zoo)
The zoo also said Ilanga and her cubs will remain out of the public's eyes until they are more mature with developed secure mobility skills. Outdoor temperatures also need to be consistent, with a minimum of 50 degrees, before the cubs can venture outside.
Dig deeper:
Woodland Park Zoo noted in its release that the birth of the two cubs is considered a "typical litter;" an average litter size is two to three cubs. It also said, at birth, these tiny cubs weigh roughly 2 to 3 ½ pounds — just a fraction of their future adult size. Like all lions, they are born with their eyes tightly closed, only gaining their sight seven to 14 days after birth.
South African lions range in weight from 260 to 400 pounds and are considered a "vulnerable species" with as few as 23,000 to 39,000 in the wild.
New mom, Ilanga, rests with South African lion cubs shortly after giving birth on January 14, 2026. (Woodland Park Zoo) (Woodland Park Zoo)
To learn more about the lion cubs and Woodland Park Zoo's support of conservation organizations, visit zoo.org/zooparent/lion.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Woodland Park Zoo