Fota to say fond farewell to lions and rhino soon

Animal lovers are invited for a final chance to see some very special residents at Fota Wildlife Park before they wave goodbye to Cork in the coming weeks.

Asiatic lion cubs Theo, Rakesh, and Thor, along with the first and only Indian rhino to be born in Ireland, Jai, will be leaving their Cork home shortly to take part in oversees breeding programmes.

The three lion cubs are heading off to join the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex-situ Programme (EEP) at Wingham Wildlife Park in the United Kingdom. The adorable trio were born in Fota in June 2024 to Arya and Yali. Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated 500–600 individuals remaining in the wild in India’s Gir Forest.

Meanwhile, Jai will be moving to Edinburgh Zoo as part of the species’ EEP. Born in September 2022 to Maya and Jamil, the species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, with around 3,300 animals remaining in the wild across India and Nepal.

International breeding programmes involving Fota Wildlife Park in coordination with zoos across Europe and the UK help maintain genetically healthy populations of endangered species and support long term global wildlife conservation efforts.