The youngest generation. This is Xabi.
Belgium.
Antwerp National Zoo.
Antwerp Zoo (Dutch: ZOO Antwerpen) is a zoo in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, located next to the Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. It is the oldest animal park in the country, and one of the oldest in the world, established on 21 July 1843.
Whisker is the oldest son of Nestor (born in Antwerp zoo, august 2012) and his mate Tasa (moved from Czech Republic).
His female siblings Winta and Waka moved to Whipsnade zoo last year to be part of a new breeding program (may 2023)
Zoo favorite Nestor moved to another zoo park in Belgium (feb 2024) . Apparently his very pure genes are important to the breeding program of West and Central African lions. Many lions kept in zoos are crossbreeds.
Lions in West- and Central Africa are regionally endangered, living in small fragmented populations in protected areas only. The main threats are habitat destruction for agricultural development (of dry savannah) and human-lion conflict.
Whisker as well as his younger brother Xesar will also move to other zoos. Xesar's female siblings Xabi and Xira will remain with their mother according to the latest news. In time they will be paired with another male.
In Belgium's KMDA (Antwerp and Planckendael zoo) newborns are named following the alphabet.
2021 was a W year. 2022 was the X year.
Newborns this year (2024) will get a name starting with a Z.
The youngest generation. This is Xabi.
Belgium.
Antwerp National Zoo.
Antwerp Zoo (Dutch: ZOO Antwerpen) is a zoo in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, located next to the Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. It is the oldest animal park in the country, and one of the oldest in the world, established on 21 July 1843.
Whisker is the oldest son of Nestor (born in Antwerp zoo, august 2012) and his mate Tasa (moved from Czech Republic).
His female siblings Winta and Waka moved to Whipsnade zoo last year to be part of a new breeding program (may 2023)
Zoo favorite Nestor moved to another zoo park in Belgium (feb 2024) . Apparently his very pure genes are important to the breeding program of West and Central African lions. Many lions kept in zoos are crossbreeds.
Lions in West- and Central Africa are regionally endangered, living in small fragmented populations in protected areas only. The main threats are habitat destruction for agricultural development (of dry savannah) and human-lion conflict.
Whisker as well as his younger brother Xesar will also move to other zoos. Xesar's female siblings Xabi and Xira will remain with their mother according to the latest news. In time they will be paired with another male.
In Belgium's KMDA (Antwerp and Planckendael zoo) newborns are named following the alphabet.
2021 was a W year. 2022 was the X year.
Newborns this year (2024) will get a name starting with a Z.