February 3, 2006
Zee News, India

San Diego: Born by Caesarean section last November at the San Diego zoo, a male lion cub named Koza needed to be hand-raised. Concerned that the little cub had no playmates, zoo-keepers introduced Koza to a puppy, born to a dog rescued during Hurricane Katrina.

Photo: Cairo, an Italian mastiff puppy, was introduced as a playmate to 10-week-old Koza, a lion cub whose twin died, at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The idea is that lions are social animals, but there are no other lion cubs at the park for Koza to interact with. Cairo is the next best thing. (DAN TREVAN / Sign On San Diego)

It didn't take long for the two to bond. The pair recently made their debut at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park.

"Koza, the baby lion, they are very social animals and they enjoy other animals to interact with," explained zoo-keeper Marcia Diehl.

The pair will soon move to Lion Camp, where they will have a field to play in. However, when the Lion gets large enough he will be introduced to a group of older lions a the 1,800 acre park. The paths of the new best friends will then unfortunately part.

The Zoological Society is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats.

Bureau Report

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