Visitors to Fota Wildlife Park have a final opportunity to see the three Asiatic lion cubs before they depart in the coming weeks to join the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex-situ Programme (EEP) at Wingham Wildlife Park in the United Kingdom. Theo, Rakesh and Thor were born in June 2024 to Arya and Yali. Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) are classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated 500–600 individuals remaining in the wild in India’s Gir Forest.
Also transferring in the weeks ahead is Jai, the only Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) ever born in Ireland, who will move to Edinburgh Zoo as part of the species’ EEP. Born in September 2022 to Maya and Jamil, the species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with around 3,300 animals remaining in the wild across India and Nepal.
International breeding programmes involving Fota Wildlife Park, a wildlife conservation charity, in coordination with zoos across Europe and the UK help maintain genetically healthy populations of endangered species and support long term global wildlife conservation efforts.
Fota Wildlife Park is open daily from 9:30 am. The Panoramic Wheel, located within the 100-acre Wildlife Park, opens Saturday 14 March. More information is available at www.fotawildlife.ie.
