Okinawa Zoo welcomes male lion “Arusha”

Okinawa Zoo & Museum in Okinawa City held Thursday a welcoming ceremony for a new permanent resident of the zoo, male lion “Arusha.” Arusha is the first male lion in three years to live in the zoo.

Arusha was born in 2010 at Tama Zoo in Tokyo. Now he is 2.5 meter long weighing 172 kg. He is six years old that equals late 20’s in human terms.

Up to now, Okinawa Zoo has had a female lion named Ringo, and Arusha will now keep company to her as the second lion.

About 50 nursery school children welcomed the lion in front of his cage with comments like, “He is so big and cool!” The children came from nursery schools in Yaese Town and Nakagusuku Village. They had prepared a cake made of horsemeat as a welcoming present to Arusha.

Okinawa Zoo expects to get a third lion soon, a white baby lion from Tohoku Safari Park in Fukushima.