At Zoo Knoxville, we’re proud of our pride—of lions, that is. Upepo, the majestic African lion, is now holding court in the Valley of the Kings! It’s his official public debut after arriving in July. Five-year-old Upepo, (pronounced ew-PEP-oh), weighs in at an imposing 400 pounds (no word on how much of that is his impressive mane).
Upepo, whose name means “wind” in Swahili, came to us from a wildlife park in Oregon in July. Upepo came to Knoxville on the recommendation of the African Lion Species Survival Plan, a collaborative effort of zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to save lions from extinction. Now that Upepo has gotten comfortable in his new home, we are excited to invite everyone to pay tribute to this regal new resident. Here’s a sneak peak.