To make way for Giant pandas, a deal that’s not yet been finalized, the SF Zoo’s last two African lions are being transferred to a facility better equipped for their advancing age, but officials haven’t yet located one.
The San Francisco Zoo recently announced on social media that its last two African lions, Marvella and Jasiri, are slated to be transferred to another facility once a suitable placement is found.
As KTVU reports, zoo officials say they've spent more than a year exploring options to keep the lions on-site, but ultimately they determined relocation would better serve their long-term care needs. While searching for a new facility, the zoo reportedly began preparing to convert the lion habitat into the future home of giant pandas under a deal that has not yet been made official.
According to the Chronicle, the lions currently occupy an 86-year-old enclosure that has seen limited upgrades, including work in 2023, but remains problematic due to uneven surfaces and a moat design that raises mobility concerns as the animals age.
Staff noted the space would require major structural changes to safely accommodate older lions, particularly Jasiri, who has a congenital spinal condition and already receives ongoing therapeutic care. Marvella is 11 and arrived from Kansas in 2023.
Jasiri, 10, was reportedly born at the zoo in 2015 and has spent his entire life there. His mom, Sukari, who gave birth to multiple cubs at the zoo, died at age 20 in 2023, as SFist reported at the time.
“We have made the difficult decision to begin planning for their transfer to another accredited zoo that can better meet their long-term needs as they age,” said the zoo.
Zoo officials said the lion habitat has been on the list for upgrades regardless of the panda plan. As SFist reported in 2024, a scathing Chronicle report called the lion habitat unsafe for staff and visitors.
The future of the giant pandas’ arrival remains unconfirmed, as previously reported, and the mayor’s office referred questions back to the zoo, which said there has been no official confirmation that pandas will arrive. Per KTVU, a new panda enclosure is estimated to cost about $25 million, which has received pushback from advocates who point to the zoo’s ongoing financial strain.
Marvella and Jasiri will be relocated together, with the zoo working through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to place them as a bonded pair, though no timeline or destination has been set. The Chronicle reports that officials described the decision as difficult, noting the lions are the zoo’s last big cats aside from smaller species like snow leopards.
Lion habitats have reportedly been part of the zoo since its early years, including the 1930s moat design that replaced cages with open viewing structures.
The zoo is also moving ahead with new attractions, including a dinosaur exhibit opening in June.
Related: San Francisco Zoo Lioness Sukari Dies at Age 20
Image: San Francisco Zoo/Facebook
