Fort Worth Zoo shares photos of ‘playful’ male lion cub named Moja born 3lbs who has already shot up to 16lbs, loves playing with his mom’s tail and will soon meet his dad for the first time

Fort Worth Zoo has announced its newest addition to their Predators of Asia & Africa lion habitat: an adorable lion cub named Moja.

Moja was born on October 20 at 5:37 pm to proud mother Saba and father Jabulani and weighed just 2.7 pounds at four days old.

The little lion is Saba’s first cub and has already begun to imitate the behavior of predators and prey. like he was playing with his mother’s tail in the weeks since the zoo welcomed him.

Moja has yet to meet his father and the Texas Zoo’s other female lion, Abagabe.

However, the now 16 kilo lion cub is still growing and will eventually be introduced to Jabulani when he is big enough for the zoo’s habitat.

Moja was born on October 20 at 5:37 PM to proud mother Saba and father Jabulani and has not yet met his father or the other female lion Abagabe.

When Moja is big enough, he will join the three other lions at the site as an official member of the zoo’s Predators of Asia & Africa lion habitat

Jabulani, Saba and Abagabe were born in a South African wildlife sanctuary in 2012 and began living at the Fort Worth Zoo later that year.

The African lions are part of the zoo’s Predators of Asia & Africa habitat, which opened on June 22, 2023.

Moja, the first lion cub born at the Fort Worth Zoo in nine years and the first to ultimately be integrated into the habitat, has been closely monitored by keepers since birth.

“Moja has been busy behind the scenes growing and bonding with his mother, while caretakers have closely monitored his development and well-being,” the zoo said in a statement. NBCDFW.

Saba often fed, bathed and played with Moja and even carried him through their enclosure.

It’s still being determined when exactly Moja will join the habitat, but zoo keepers want to make sure he can handle the space and water features before he does.

Moja may not be appearing to zoo visitors yet, but users on Instagram are loving the photos and the video of him posted to their account.

Most social media users have responded positively to the new cub on Instagram and are excited to see Moja in person

Instagram users have been calling Moja ‘cute’ and ‘adorable’, and one person was lucky enough to spot the cub by chance.

‘Caught a glimpse of him today in the side garden with the keepers. He looks adorable!!!!,” the user wrote.

Others called Moja’s parents “gorgeous” and said they were sad not to see the little cub in public.

Interestingly enough, almost no one commented on the fun fact revealed in the video’s caption: “Moja (pronounced mow-jah) means one in Swahili.”