ST. LOUIS (Sept. 22, 2026) — The Saint Louis Zoo is full of pride to announce that two new lions will return their iconic species to Forest Park for the first time in more than a year.
Araali (ah-RAH-lee) a 6-year-old female, arrived Sept. 2 from Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and made her public debut today in the Zoo’s Big Cat Country. Bantu, a 12-year-old male, will arrive to the Zoo soon from Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kansas and may be seen—and heard—in the public habitat in the coming weeks.
“We’re excited for guests to hear the roar of a lion at the Zoo once again,” said Julie Hartell-DeNardo, the Kevin Beckmann Curator of Carnivores at the Saint Louis Zoo. “There’s nothing quite like experiencing the presence of these incredible animals in person. We hope Araali and Bantu give our guests a deeper connection to their counterparts in the wild.”
The Saint Louis Zoo has a long history of caring for lions dating back to the Zoo's first lions in 1914. The Zoo's most recent longtime lion residents, female Cabara and male Ingozi, lived into old age and passed away within a few months of each other in late 2024 and early 2025.
Lions are a social species, so Araali and Bantu were paired to be companions, though there are no plans for them to breed. Keepers will introduce the pair gradually by giving them access to see, hear and smell each other through a protective barrier. Close observation of both lions’ behaviors will guide the pace of introductions. There may be periods when lions are not viewable in the public habitat while introductions are ongoing.
Wild African lion populations have nearly halved in the last 30 years. Lions have lost about 85% of their historic range in the wild, the most significant contraction habitat range among the large carnivore species. The decline has made the species' recovery a top conservation priority for zoological organizations around the world.
The Saint Louis Zoo supports lion conservation through its participation in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) African Lion Program. The Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute has also long partnered with conservation nonprofit Lion Landscapes, which develops community-based solutions to improve coexistence between people and large carnivores in Tanzania and Kenya.
More Information
The Zoo will provide regular updates on the lions to social media and on the Zoo website at stlzoo.org/news.