As most Zoo lions descend from 'spare' lions bred in Safari Parks, it therefore seems to make more sense to group these lions in this category This page shows all of the lions that descend from lions born in West Midlands Safari Park.
West Midlands Safari Park like the majority of Safari Parks has held lions since it's conception in 1973.
However when Windsor Safari Park closed its gates in 1992, the majority of the pride were sent to West Midlands Safari park so it is probable that the original core of females have lasted to the present day, although the flow of male lions has been different every succession of males passes. These males would have come from other Safari Parks or on some occasions may be born into the pride. Other the last couple of successions West Midlands seem to have favoured the one male approach. This means that there is no fighting between males for dominance and siring cubs, however the male needs to be able to have the power to stay in control. West Midlands also seem to be one of few Safari Parks not to castrate spare males, instead sending them off to further zoos, not keeping them for added numbers.
West Midlands has without doubt been very succesful with it's lions, and cubs are born very reguarly. When I visited the park in 2005 I saw three male lions. Two, one of which is showed directly below were very close and absolutely huge. As you can see he had a rather long face but a huge mane, with a fairly long chin, rather remnant of some of Zuri's characteristics below.
Directly above here was a male lion who was kept away from the rest of the pride, possibly born into the pride and kept on as a future breeder. This is natural behaviour in the wild males will be thrown out of their pride when they reach sexual maturity either by their fathers or by other successive pride males. It could be possible that this is the next pride male 'Luke' who in turn was Zuri's father.
At present however West Midlands resident male lion is 'Junior'. Possibly a son of Luke, it is very hard to find out names or ages of females, but as far as press releases go, no fresh male blood has entered for quite some time.
To learn about the lions at Linton Zoo please look on this page which will give you a lot of information on the lions housed there. The original new pair descend from Woburn Safari Park, but since the addition of Zuri from West Midlands Safari Park to mate with their cub, the second generation of Linton Lions also descend from the West Midlands Pride. However they have such an emphasis on this blog it made more sense to give them a page of their own! To read about lions born at Linton and sent to Uganda please look on this page here.
However I have posted here a photo of Zuri. Zuri was born at West Midlands Safari Park in 2006. He has an incredibly thick, heavy and very long mane and rather short front feet, making him look a bit squat. It is this look that makes a very good simularity to Spike at Whipsnade Zoo. Who was also born at West Midlands Safari Park a few years earlier.
AFRICA ALIVE
The group at West Midlands Safari Park descend from both Woburn and West Midlands. However because the pride male Zero descends from Woburn Safari Park they have been placed in the Woburn page.
ZSL WHIPSNADE ZOO
Whipsnade Zoo (or as it was, Wild Animal Park) has held lions since it was opened in the 1930's. The original enclosures remained in operation till the last lioness died in 1998, leaving the zoo lion-less. The zoo after a seven year gap invested in a huge new enclosure to bring Africa Lios back to Whipsnade. The new 'Lions of the Serengeti' Enclosure is situated just across the road from the original lion dell. With a large house, and a huge glass viewing area for visitors, the enclosure gives off great views of the lions. But even better the lions have a great view across the downs. It also incorporates mature woodland towards the right of the enclosure pictured below. In my opinion it is one of the best places to be when the sun is going down, watching the lions at the top of their hill, with the oryx and other paddock hoofstock nearby. Fantastic.
The picture above shows the lion enclosure with the Scimitar Horned Oryx enclosure in the foreground. The lion get a fantastic view across the paddocks and the downs, and the visitors get a superb view of the lions sat on their hill. The zoo has since filled in the old lion dells, and in 2005. West Midlands donated three lions to Whipsnade; Spike, Kachanga and Mashaka-Lila.
Sice they arrived the year after Spike and Mashaka-Lila had four cubs, Kia the female, and three males Toto, Neo and Kato. The picture above shows the two females and all the cubs, taken in February 2012. The males are easily pointed out as they are huge compared to the three girls. All of the castrated males I would say are actually bigger than the male Spike shown below. Spike is a cousin of Zuri, as his really short stumpy front feet suggest! Another comparison to Zuri is his really big almost 'too big' mane.
The Whipsnade group was never going to be a big UK breeder, the lions do very well and fill their enclosure in their family group. Therefore having the three castrated males here does not do much harm, and the group seems to be in relative harmony. The pride does what it was built to do, give Whipsnade a new future of lions, and they do fit well into 'Lions of the Serengeti'. Here are pictures of Whipsnade lions in the snow, which is the most active that I have ever seen this famously sleepy group of lions.
So West Midlands Lions?
These lions are perhaps most easily spotted because of their 'short' male lions, they are not as tall or as lean as other lions from other Safari Parks and their manes are quite often made to look 'too big' for them. This could be due to slight inbreeding over many generations in UK Safari Parks.
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