ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney World's newest lion pride was welcomed into the resort's Animal Kingdom theme park last week.
Siblings Mshango, Zahara and Neema were brought in to explore their new habitat at Animal Kingdom's Harambe Wildlife Reserve.
"These young and regal lions are already making their roars heard and showing guests their playful and cub-like spirit on the Kilimanjaro Safaris," park officials stated in a news release.
Officials added the three lions are "an important part of the future of the lion population," as they could breed with members of another pride as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP).
That program is designed to ensure the responsible breeding and genetic diversity of animal populations, as many are threatened and endangered in the wild.
This announcement comes just weeks before the release of Disney's latest live-action movie, "Mufasa: The Lion King."
Park officials hope the film will help energize a deeper connection to the wild.
"The film highlights the importance of preserving the natural habitats that lions, like Mufasa, call home," officials said.
In celebration of the film, Disney World will also be relaunching the global “Protect the Pride” conservation campaign to support the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund and LRF’s partners working across Africa to double the number of lions in the wild by 2050.
For those interested in keeping track of more new arrivals at Walt Disney World Resort, click here.
