DENVER — Meet Tatu — the adorable little fuzzball cub that will soon grow into a full-fledged African lion.
"Tatu" is the name chosen by people through the zoo's online voting portal. Each vote cost $1, money that went to conservation efforts.
(The other two choices were Meru and Moremi).
The Denver Zoo said in a tweet that it raised $12,000 during the voting process.
Tatu was born on July 25 to mom, Neliah, and dad, Tobias, and the zoo said he's spent the last couple months bonding with his parents and others in the pride.
He made his public debut on Sept. 18. Guest can watch him explore his new outdoor habitat in Pahali Ya Mwana, the eastern-most exhibit in Benson Predator Ridge.
Half of Africa’s lions have disappeared in the past 25 years and the species faces growing threats from poaching, loss of prey and habitat destruction.
The cub’s birth is a huge success for the Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP), which ensures healthy, genetically diverse populations of lions within Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions, and is managed by Denver Zoo Vice President for Animal Care Hollie Colahan.
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