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Lioness Sisters Join Lincoln Park Cat House

By Linze Rice | May 13, 2015 3:41pm
 Sisters Zalika and Kamali join Lincoln Park Zoo's resident male lion, Sahar, in the zoo's prized cat house.
Sisters Zalika and Kamali join Lincoln Park Zoo's resident male lion, Sahar, in the zoo's prized cat house.
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DNAinfo/Lincoln Park Zoo

CHICAGO — Two of Lincoln Park Zoo's newest inhabitants made quite a roar Wednesday. 

That's because the zoo, at 2001 N. Clark St., welcomed two new teenage lionesses: Zalika and Kamali. 

Weighing about 160 pounds each, the 1½-year-old sisters traveled from Oregon Zoo to Chicago as part of a recommendation made by the African Lion Species Survival Plan. 

“We’re very excited to introduce Zalika and Kamali to Chicago and to our male lion, Sahar,” said Curator of Mammals Mark Kamhout. “Over the past couple weeks, we have introduced the lions both via scent and visually and in the coming weeks we will physically introduce the three lions who will share the indoor and outdoor exhibit space.”

Zoologists at Lincoln Park have focused on lion conservation in recent years, as the species continues to be classified as vulnerable for extinction across Africa. 

Common habitual problems like environmental changes and disease have made it especially difficult for the lion population to keep its numbers up. 

“Not only are these lionesses a great addition to Lincoln Park Zoo, but they also serve as ambassadors for the imperative conservation work the zoo is conducting in native lion habitats in Africa,” said Kamhout.

The Kovler Lion House is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

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