AFRICAN LION COMPLEX OPENS AT ZOO ATLANTA

Hondo, Hatari, and Azizi are back on the prowl in a newly upgraded habitat  

ATLANTA – April 8, 2025 – Spring comes roaring in with a newly renovated African lion complex, now open at Zoo Atlanta. The six-month, $3 million project introduces an array of new features designed for lions Hondo, Hatari, and Azizi and a new experience for Members and guests.  

Design elements incorporated specifically for lion wellbeing and behaviors include around 1,500 new square feet of habitat space for the lions. From the visitor perspective, the complex features three separate viewing areas, including an expansive observation deck with seating area that promotes views of the entire habitat, including a new in-habitat pool. 

“Zoo Atlanta is very excited to reintroduce our Members and guests to these majestic and iconic animals in a habitat we think few of our visitors will even recognize as the same area of the Zoo,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “Every year brings a new transformation at Zoo Atlanta, with spaces reimagined for animal wellbeing and for the experience of all those we welcome to the Zoo and our mission.”  

African lions Hondo, Hatari, and Azizi are 11-year-old brothers born at Zoo Atlanta. The trio has been recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) to live in an all-male group, called a coalition. These coalitions are also often seen in wild lions. The brothers are known not just for their magnificent appearance, but for their trademark roars, which can occasionally be heard well beyond the Zoo. Throughout the construction process, the lions had access to both indoor and outdoor spaces in a behind-the-scenes area of the complex.  

The African lion habitat is part of the Zoo’s African Savanna zone, all of which has been redesigned and updated over the past five years. The Savanna includes expanded habitats for African elephants Kelly, Tara, Msholo and new herd-mate Titan; a mixed-species habitat for giraffes, zebras, and ostrich; and habitats for warthogs, meerkats, kori bustards, and blue cranes. Next door to the African lion complex, the Delta Air Lines Rhino Habitat was redesigned for rhinos in 2023 and is home to southern white rhinos Mumbles, Dakari, Kiazi, and 1-year-old Zuri.  

Found in savannas, grasslands, and scrub habitat in sub-Saharan Africa, African lions are currently classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The wild population has decreased by more than 40 percent in just the past two decades, largely because of habitat loss and human encroachment. Another threat is human-wildlife conflict, as habitat loss and a decrease in available prey forces lions closer to human settlements, where they are killed for preying on livestock.  

Visit zooatlanta.org to plan your visit or to learn more about African lions and their conservation.  

MEDIA CONTACT:  
Rachel Davis 
Director of Communications  
rdavis@zooatlanta.org  
404.624.2812 

Gavin Johnson  
Public Relations and Communications Specialist  
404.624.5980  
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org  

About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education, and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include giant pandas.; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include the African Savanna, featuring new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, meerkats, and rhinos; Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination in the restored historic former home of the Atlanta Cyclorama; and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Plaza. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.