HONOLULU — Last Thursday, The Honolulu Zoo welcomed a male lion named Enzi, who was born on Sept. 21, 2015, in Indianapolis.

Zookeepers introduced Enzi into the lion habitat where a 14-year-old lioness Moxy lives.

Moxy is past her breeding age; it was never planned for the two to mate.

“With the continued assistance of the Honolulu Police Department’s solo bike escort team, we are happy to announce the safe arrival of Enzi, our new male lion,” said Honolulu Zoo Director Linda Santos. “We are very fortunate that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) was able to identify a male lion for the Honolulu Zoo and we are all very excited to welcome him to his new home in the African Savanna.” 

A lion’s roar can be heard from up to five miles away. Lions in captivity live for about 25 years, whereas in the wild, they may live only 12-16 years.

After tigers, lions are the second-largest cat in the world. 

African lions once meandered across most of Africa, as well as part of Asia and Europe. The species is now only found in a few parts of sub-Saharan Africa, having disappeared from 94% of its former range, according to National Geographic.

Enzi must pass a 120-day quarantine before being presented to the public in September.

Nuy Cho is the executive producer of Spectrum News Hawaii. She writes the surf report and covers other general news. Read more of her stories here.