Mlinzi, our male lion, was born at Monarto Safari Park in South Australia on 18 June, 2013. He spent 3 years living at Taronga
Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, before arriving at the National Zoo & Aquarium. Mlinizi is a strong headed male who likes others
to think he’s a tough guy. Mlinizi means ‘protector’.
Lioness Nairibi, was born in Denmark on 26 February, 2012. She arrived in Australia in 2014, with her half sister, to help
strengthen the genetics of the Australasian lion breeding population. Before arriving at the National Zoo & Aquarium, Nairibi
resided at Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria. Nairibi has had cubs previously and is a spirited female. She is a good match
for Mlinzi and doesn’t take any nonsense from him.
About Lions:
Tawny Lions can live up to 15 years in the wild and up to 25 – 30 years in captivity. A male lion will weigh 20-30% more than his
female counterpart. Over the course of 24 hours, lions spend much of their time resting and are inactive for around 20 hours a
day. Despite this, a lion chasing prey can run the length of a football field in 6 seconds. However, on average, only one in six
hunting attempts result in a successful kill.
WHERE:
Catwalk of National Zoo and Aquarium,
999 Lady Denman Drive, Weston Creek, Canberra (next to Scrivener Dam)
