ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Last week, the Abilene Zoo returned two of three lions to their home in Fort Worth. The lionesses, Saba and Abagebe safely returned home around January 27. The zoo’s Communication and Conservation Supervisor Clay Carbajal said Jabulani, the male lion, will make his journey to Fort Worth January 9.
Courtesy of the Abilene Zoo: Jabulani (left), Abagebe (top right) and Saba (bottom right)
“The lion behind me is named Jabulani and he is on loan to us from the Fort Worth Zoo,” Carbajal explained. “Just last week we sent his two girlfriends Abagebe and Saba back to Fort Worth and Jabulani will soon be joining them.”
These lions have called the Abilene Zoo home for a little more than two years while their enclosure in Fort Worth was renovated. The Abilene Zoo took them in because it previously had lions and were equipped to house the cats. So what will happen moving forward?
“The future plans for this habitat are still up in the air, however, we are in search of new lions to call this habitat home, that could be happening pretty soon,” said Carbajal.
Let’s hope they’re not lion (lying). Speaking of new animals, the zoo had else up their sleeves. Last Tuesday, employees announced that Uhuru the black rhinoceros would be joining the Abilene Zoo. Uhuru is in his enclosure and is ready for visitors, according to a Facebook post from the Abilene zoo.
With the lions returning home, the circle of life and new events, the zoo has undergone several changes recently, including more security, according to Carbajal.
“You know, what’s happened at the Dallas zoo, Central Park zoo, and the zoo in Louisiana are extremely unfortunate. It’s our job to take care of these animals on a daily basis and for peoples or people to go in and disrupt that care process and endanger the lives of the animals or the public is truly a detriment to the society that we live in,” Carbajal explained. “Here at the Abilene zoo, we take severe precautions including being very watchful while we’re here on staff and also having 24-hour security detail that checks the animals, their habitats and are able to call us if they see anything suspicious.”
Carbajal also said that if you see something, say something to help keep the zoo and the community safe.