Animal alert: Blind seal finds new home in Tacoma, Seattle lion cubs get their names

Western Washington has some exciting animal updates.

A blind seal has found a new home at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, and two South African lion cubs at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle have been named.

Woodland Park Zoo announces lion cubs’ names

The cubs were named Kamari and Zawadi, the Woodland Park Zoo announced via Facebook last week.

Kamari means moon in Swahili, and Zawadi means gift in Swahili. The zoo’s lion care team chose the names from a community poll, and Kamari was the top pick.

“Woodland Park Zoo is truly grateful for the groundswell of 460 donors throughout the community who participated to name Kamari with contributions of every size,” officials stated.

All funds raised through the community name poll will be used to help the zoo provide care for the cubs.

A grandparent of zoo lovers was chosen to name Zawadi, which also symbolizes the joy and positivity children bring to their families and community, according to the zoo.

The cubs are currently in the off-view maternity den with their mom and will make their way to the outdoor habitat once they get stronger, the zoo noted.

“They are growing more curious and bolder every day,” officials wrote in a video of the young lions.

The cubs were born on January 14 and are the zoo’s first birth of lions since 2014. Both cubs are female and were born to first-time parents, mom Ilanga and dad Tandie.

Martin Ramirez, Curator of Mammalogy at Woodland Park Zoo, stated via a January news release that Ilanga was doing a “terrific job” as a first-time mother.

Lion cubs, according to the zoo, are born blind and open their eyes within a week or two after birth. Veterinarians checked on the cubs every couple of weeks for weight monitoring, vaccinations, and blood and fecal samples.

“It’s a big win for the Lion Species Survival Plan gene pool, and we’re looking forward to establishing a new pride here and celebrating this incredible legacy of lions at Woodland Park Zoo,” Ramirez stated.

African lions are considered vulnerable, with only 23,000 to 39,000 estimated to remain in the wild, the zoo noted.

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium welcomes Onion the seal

Meanwhile, at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Onion is feeling out his new surroundings.

Onion is a blind 11-year-old harbor seal who recently arrived from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, according to a news release from Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Tuesday.

The zoo has invited the public to meet Onion this weekend during his public debut from March 27 to 29.

Onion lived at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo since 2016 and was relocated to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium after he was recommended to breed with the zoo’s two females.

Onion was found stranded in September 2015 at just 17 months old on Herring Cove Beach in Massachusetts. He was rescued and admitted for rehabilitation before joining the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

During his recovery, Onion developed a serious eye infection that left him blind in his right eye and a lesion in his left eye, according to the zoo. Since then, he has had both eyes removed for comfort.

“Despite his blindness, Onion has thrived under human care,” officials stated.

Onion is involved in his healthcare and is comfortable with his consistent checkups, according to Jen DeGroot, the Rocky Shores Curator at Point Defiance Zoo.

“Onion is trained to actively participate in his own healthcare and is comfortable with procedures such as X-rays, injections, blood draws, and tooth brushing,” DeGroot stated. “It’s a testament to the trust he has built with his care teams in Ohio, and we look forward to building on that trust here.”

As for bonding with his companions, the zoo said Onion is getting along swimmingly with the two female harbor seals at Rocky Shores, Qilak and Riley.

Harbor seals are found along temperate, subarctic, and Arctic coastlines in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, according to the zoo.

Visitors can find Onion, Qilak, and Riley in the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium’s Rocky Shores area.

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