‘The naming of cats is a difficult matter,” said T.S. Eliot. The bigger the cat, the greater the difficulty, it seems.
Meet Lion the lion. He is one of two Asian lion cubs – an endangered species – born at the Tisch Family Biblical Zoo recently. The name “Lion” might not seem very original to English speakers, but it was significantly announced last month by Mayor Moshe Lion in honor of Jerusalem Day – the holiday commemorating the reunification of the capital, whose emblem is a lion.
Lion’s sibling has not been named yet because zookeepers are waiting to discover its gender. So far, they haven’t been able to get close enough to look. Lion and his equally cute brother or sister are being closely watched over by their protective mother – Yasha, originally from a German zoo – and their magnificent father – Gir (whose name was unofficially changed to Ziv when he made aliya from Sweden.) Initially, zoo staff kept Gir/Ziv separate from his offspring, uncertain of how he would take to them, but they have now bonded.
The births of the twin cubs is considered a roaring success, as the Asian (or Asiatic) lions are on the verge of extinction with just 500 individuals living in and around the Gir National Park area in India’s Gujarat state and another 300 in zoos around the world. The Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem is a participant in a project initiated by the London Zoo to save the population of the Asian lions, so the excitement spread well beyond Israel’s borders.
Asian lions used to roam in this region in biblical times but were hunted to extinction during the Crusader period. This is the type of lion that Samson is said to have killed with his bare hands and David killed while protecting his father’s sheep.
Now, of course, it is the lions that need protecting. As the Biblical Zoo reopens following the corona crisis, visitors are invited to see the Asian lions and other animals, while preserving Health Ministry guidelines. Visitors are also being asked to make sure not to make too much noise near the lion cubs so as not to frighten them or their parents.
Lion and his sibling are expected to live at the Jerusalem zoo for another two years, after which they will be transferred to other zoos participating in the conservation program, which carefully matches individuals to prevent the problems of inbreeding.
Wherever he ends up, Lion will always be the pride of Jerusalem.
In accordance with Health Ministry guidelines, tickets must be purchased in advance and places reserved, including for those with membership, via:
www.jerusalemzoo.org/home-english