Saramba, King of the Boys

Saramba has grown into the biggest of the boys, earning him the title we’ve given him, King of the Boys.

Despite his size, he’s a gentle, good-natured African lion who has never liked confrontation. He’d much rather sit back while the others fight and really doesn’t like to get involved, but when he has to step in, he will.

That’s particularly true when it comes to his youngest brother, Zamani, who can be a bit of a liability and will pick a fight with almost anything. On one occasion, Zamani actually attacked Craig, and it was Saramba who stepped in and pulled him off. He really is our big, gentle boy.

Thambili, The Protector

Thambili shares his enclosure with Tshaka and S’bu, and as far as he’s concerned, he’s the top lion.

In his enclosure, he is! You’ll often find him prowling the perimeter fences, fending off the other lions who, of course, can’t actually get through, but we don’t tell him that.

In Thambili’s mind, he’s doing his job and keeping everyone firmly at bay. He’s always pleased to see his caregivers, especially Craig, and is a really well-balanced lion. He also has the potential to carry the kind of strong genetics and temperament we look for when considering the future of our breeding programme.

Tshaka, The Playful One

Tshaka is our most playful lion and is always looking for something to entertain himself with.

When he was young, we very nearly lost him after poisonous seeds blew into his enclosure and contaminated the meat he ate, but thankfully he pulled through.

These days, an unsuspecting snake slithering into his enclosure provides plenty of entertainment, even the cobras! You’ll always know when Tshaka is talking because he has a very distinctive voice, something he’s had ever since a cobra bit him on the neck.

Thankfully, being young and healthy, he bounced back remarkably well from what could have had a very different outcome. Nothing seems to have dampened his playful spirit.

S’bu, The Charmer

S’bu is a firm favourite amongst pretty much everyone who works here.

He’s usually the quickest to bond with his caregivers and has a wonderfully flamboyant personality while also being incredibly sweet. He loves to talk and is always the first one running to the fence for some attention and a chat whenever somebody is nearby.

He does have a slightly naughty side, though, and will occasionally pick a fight with his brothers. S’bu certainly isn’t one for backing down once he’s started! Strangely, you might not guess any of that from his photographs, because almost every photo we seem to have of him has his eyes closed. He’s definitely more interested in people than posing for the camera.

Zamani, The Wild Card

Zamani was our unexpected surprise, arriving around ten months after the other four boys when Shia became pregnant again soon after giving birth. He’s the smallest of the lions but seems to have the energy of all of them put together.

He barely sits down, barely sleeps and is constantly on the go, and despite his size, he eats more than the others to sustain all that energy. Zamani is strong, fearless and full of character, but when we consider the qualities needed to thrive in the wild, his willingness to take on anything and everything could work against him.

A successful wild lion needs to know when to conserve his energy, walk away and pick his battles. Self-restraint is one quality Zamani definitely wasn’t blessed with!

Lions are the second-largest big cats, after tigers.

They live mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, with a small population in India’s Gir Forest.

Lions are highly social and usually live in groups called prides.

A pride typically consists of related females, their cubs and several adult males.

Female lions do most of the hunting, often working together.

Lions mainly hunt large animals such as zebras, wildebeest and buffalo.

A lion’s roar can be heard from up to 8 kilometres away.

Male lions usually have manes, which can signal age, health and strength.

Lions can sleep or rest for up to 20 hours a day.

Wild lions generally live for around 10–14 years.