Lioness Arya returns to Fota Wildlife Park after four years in Finland

The Asiatic lioness was transferred to Helsinki Zoo as part of the European Endangered Breeding programme.

Six-year-old Asiatic lioness Arya, born at Fota Wildlife Park, returns home after four years at Helsinki Zoo as part of the European Endangered Breeding Programme. Photo Darragh Kane

Arya and sister Amira are no strangers to publicity. The cubs made headlines even before they were born. 

The two female lionesses were part of the first ever litter of Asian lions born at Fota Wildlife Park, along with brother Loki, back in August 2017.

Now, six-year-old Arya has arrived back home after a sojourn in Finland.

Six-year-old Asiatic lioness Arya, born at Fota Wildlife Park, returns home after four years at Helsinki Zoo as part of the European Endangered Breeding Programme. Photo Darragh Kane

After a period of four years at Helsinki Zoo, where she was transferred under the European Endangered Breeding programme to live with her maternal grandmother, the Asiatic lioness is back on home soil. 

Lead Ranger at Fota Wildlife Park, Julien Forteneau says there was great excitement when they heard the news: 

“It’s amazing to see Arya back in the place she was born, mixing with her mother Gira and aunt Gita. It’s rare that an animal would be sent back to the place they were born.” 

In fact, Arya arrived back in Cork last July, but there was a long reintroduction process. 

Arya reunites with her mother Gira and aunt Gita, alongside male lion Yali, after a careful reintroduction process. Photo Darragh Kane

“This involved careful planning and socialisation to ensure that Arya settled into the pride, who were essentially her mum and aunt, plus the new male Yali,” explains Forteneau. 

“This took place over many weeks. It’s a very specialised process, that’s very much dictated by the needs and the responses of the individual animals."

It seems that not only has Arya settled back well, but she's thriving. 

"We are delighted to say she’s a lot less shy that she initially was and appears to have bonded very well with the pride," Forteneau points out. 

"Arya has been recommended to breed with Yali, and judging by their interaction to date, we may not be waiting that long for our next litter!” 

Arya is teaming up with male lion Yali in the hope they will produce the park's third litter. Photo Darragh Kane

The gestion period for Asiatic Lions lasts between 114 and 118 days, after which, between one to five cubs are born.

The Asiatic Lion Habitat was officially opened in Fota Wildlife Park in 2016 and to date, two litters have been born. 

The Asiatic lion is a subspecies of the genus Panthera that split from African lions around 100,000 years ago.

While they were once widespread from the Mediterranean to India and Iran, Asiatic lions now make up just 500-600 animals in the wild.

Fota Wildlife Park participates in European Endangered Species Breeding Programmes for several animal species, including the Cheetah, Black and white ruffed lemurs, European bison and Scimitar-horned oryx. Photo Darragh Kane

Fota Wildlife Park is open daily from 9.30am if you want to go and say hello.