He's 'Gonna Be A Mighty King': Grove City's Keystone Safari Welcomes Rare, Adorable Lion Cub
GROVE CITY (KDKA) -- There's a new and adorable king in town.
Keystone Safari in Grove City has welcomed a new lion cub, and it turns out he's very special.
The 12-pound cub, named Simba, "is one of fewer than 100 lions left in the world to have the genetic traits of the Barbary lion," which is sadly extinct in the wild.
According to the Tribune Review, the Barbary lion went extinct in the 1960s after being hunted in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. The Barbary lion is known for its distinct heavy build and big mane.
Simba has quite a while until he grows into those, but the little guy is already the "mane" event at the Mercer County facility.
He was born on May 19 and is now on display with his mother and father, June and Cash, after being kept indoors for several weeks.
In case you were wondering, yes, the Trib reports that Keystone Safari named him after that Simba, also known as "The Lion King."
The little cub weighed just three pounds at birth.
Right now, Simba is living by the "Hakuna Matata" motto. The Trib reports he loves playing in the sand and grass, and like any little lion, getting some lessons on pouncing.
For more information on the park, visit their website here.
