Wildlands has another male lion. Jafar, from a wildlife park in France, arrived at the Emmer zoo on Thursday evening.
The new lion is not yet visible to the public. “That can go very quickly, but it can also take a few weeks. The introduction process for lions is complicated,” animal caretaker Zoë Slaats said. “A meeting can really go wrong.”
According to the zookeeper, Jafar has ‘a very nice roar’. “There is a bit of life in the brewery again. And he doesn’t look scared, which is a good sign. He must be a tough guy for our ladies.”
Lion Dudley passed away last March. Wildlands did not immediately look for a replacement for the 16-year-old lion. “Also because we wanted to wait and see if one of the lionesses was pregnant after all.” Wildlands currently has a lion troop of four females and one male.