Löwennachwuchs has returned to the Basel Zoo after six years. The Four have emerged from the Kulissens on November 9 and 13. The still-unnamed Welpen’s mothers are Okoa (11) and Uma (11). Since both mothers gave birth to their children in the same womb box and shared in the care of them, it is still unclear which mother these children are descended from. Mbali (11), the father of the wolves, frequently throws the entire family into the wursbox. In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the possessions of African Löwen living in the Free World. Therefore, the Zoo Basel supports the “Predator Compensation Fund” (PCF), a wildlife protection initiative of the “Big Life Foundation” (BLF), with $25,000 in 2014 alone.
Pilanesberg and Madikwe, two nature reserves in the northwest of South Africa where Löwen from Namibia were settled, are the origins of Mbali, Okoa, and Uma. They were able to give away animals since they multiplied well there. Because of their semi-wild origins, the owl young will likely be of genetic interest to the zoo community. Due to the dramatic decline in the number of wolves in recent years, the European Zoo Community has decided to establish a European Erhaltungszuchtprogram (EEP) with wolves from areas south of the Sahara. This was formerly available only to Asian Lowes. The Zuchtprogram will manage the entire European Zoo-Löwen Bestand in the future and ensure that there is a maximum amount of Gen-Vielfalt available.