Celebrate Sahar’s Birthday!

Whether resting on his favorite rock or patrolling his habitat, African lion Sahar is an awe-inspiring sight at Lincoln Park Zoo. The powerful predator, who leads a pride at the Kovler Lion House, turns 8 years old on Saturday, January 27.

Sahar arrived here from the Bronx Zoo in 2012 as a slender 2-year-old whose mane had yet to develop. Today, he is in the prime of his adult life and a magnificent representative of his iconic species. In 2012, Sahar was introduced to two young females, sisters Zalika and Kamali, now both 4 and approaching maturity. The move was part of the African Lion Species Survival Plan, a collaborative conservation effort among Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions, who receive expert guidance from scientists at AZA’s Population Management Center, hosted at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Help us celebrate his birthday with this month's featured ADOPT and a special enrichment viewing!

ADOPT Sahar
Celebrate the king of Lincoln Park Zoo’s birthday with an African lion ADOPT that supports his expert care. ADOPT options include a cuddly plush, certificate of ADOPTion, magnet-frame photo and more.

Enrichment Viewing
The enrichment viewing takes place on Saturday, January 27, at 12:15 p.m. at the Kovler Lion House. Get your cameras ready. The zoo's Volunteer Enrichment Group (VEG) has crafted some amazing enrichment in the form of prey species (pictured below) that will be placed in the lions’ outdoor habitat for the birthday boy. Says VEG member Theresa Pasquarella, “It's very rewarding to support the zoo's animal enrichment program. You see your hard work destroyed in 10 seconds and say, ‘This is sooo worth it.’”

Spend enough time around animal care staff at the zoo and you’re bound to hear the term “enrichment” a lot. You might assume it refers only to objects or food placed in exhibits to boost animal activity: boomer balls for big cats to claw, leafy browse for Sichuan takin to graze on, puzzle feeders that support chimpanzees’ problem-solving skills. And, yes, that is enrichment. But it’s only one facet of daily caregiving that’s more complex and nuanced than meets the eye.

“Broadly speaking, enrichment is anything we can provide or change in an animal’s environment to encourage natural behaviors,” says Allison Kao, the zoo’s behavioral husbandry and enrichment manager.  “It could be as simple as moving branches around for an animal that likes to climb or providing nesting materials for birds.”

Inspiring excitement for the animals is also the mission of the Volunteer Enrichment Group, the creative crafters behind the edible piñatas distributed to animals on special occasions. “We’ve grown that program,” says Kao. “We make different types of enrichment other than just piñatas—like balls made from fire hose that encourage prey-manipulation behavior in big cats.”

Enrichment items, however, are simply tools that will help the zoo continue to elevate its exemplary animal care standards. “I’m just really excited to be part of growing this program,” says Kao. “The keepers are the key component, pushing the boundaries of our standard of care for our animals. I’m just here to support them and provide the tools they need to be successful—just as they do for the animals every day.”

Photos by Julia Fuller and Allison Kao