South Florida

You can now see lion cubs at this South Florida zoo. Here’s what to know

After months of bonding with their mother behind the scenes, two African lion cubs are now on full display at Lion Country Safari in Palm Beach County ready for vistors eager to see the playful felines.

Adari and Zarina were born on April 21 to their first-time mother, Mara. The Lion Country Safari wildlife team has been taking care of the cubs as they stayed with their mother. The cubs were first seen by the public on the safari’s first live ‘Cub Cam’ to watch them grow.

“Mara has been doing a fantastic job raising and protecting her cubs and it’s been extremely rewarding for our team to see them hit all their milestones and now venture out into the habitat with the pride,” said Ashleigh Kandrac, general curator at Lion Country Safari.

Cam followers also named them after two rounds of voting on a list of 734 submissions.

The cubs will join the other females in the lion pride after successful, careful introductions, including Mashika, a 3-year-old female and half-sister to the cubs, who is their favorite playmate.

The drive-through preserve has 12 African lions, the largest pride within an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institution.

“The cubs have been spending a lot of time with Mashika. They enjoy running, playing and napping with her, and when things get too rambunctious, Mara, their mom, will step in to quiet things down,” Kandrac said.

This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM.

Devoun Cetoute
Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.
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