Fort Wayne Zoo is excited to introduce a new African lion in our care, Kiume (Pronounced as Cue-MAY).
Fort Wayne Zoo news release and photos.
Fort Wayne Zoo Welcomes New African Lion, Kiume
Fort Wayne Indiana (March 27, 2025) – Fort Wayne Zoo is excited to introduce a new African lion in our care, Kiume (Pronounced as Cue-MAY). Thirteen-year-old Kiume is welcomed from John Ball Zoo as a companion for Ina, the female lioness in our care.
“We have been working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan to find the perfect match for Ina and we are overjoyed to have Kiume here,” said Michelle Smurl, Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation Education. “Though guests are just now beginning to see glimpses of him, Ina and Kiume have been going through carefully planned and phased introductions for the past several months. Throughout this complex process, our Animal Care Team have been elated to see how well these two have bonded.”
Ina and Kiume both lost their longstanding mates in 2024. Because these big cats are social, naturally living in groups called prides, it was important work to find a suitable match for each lion and we feel privileged to bring these two aging lions together.
“Kiume has quickly become a beloved member of our Zoo family and I know the community is going to love him as much as we do,” states Rick Schuiteman, Zoo Director. “We are currently giving Kiume time and space to explore his new habitat. In order to set these two lions up for success, it takes a lot of time and patience, and I am proud of our Animal Care Team for their continued dedication.”
As Kiume continues to acclimate to his new habitat, he may still have access to his behind-the-scenes spaces to help mitigate any stress, promote natural exploratory behaviors, and maintain a high level of animal wellbeing. As a result, we ask our members and guests to please be patient as he becomes comfortable with the habitat space.
Kiume becomes the Zoo’s newest ambassador representing wild African lions. Lion populations have experienced rapid decline over the last two decades, with only about 23,000 lions remaining in the wild today. The Fort Wayne Zoo partners with Lion Guardians, a conservation organization based in Kenya, dedicated to finding and enacting long-term solutions for people and lions to coexist. To learn more about lion conservation and how you can help, visit fwzoo.com.
About the Fort Wayne Zoo
The Fort Wayne Zoo is northeast Indiana’s largest tourist attraction, hosting more than 650,000 guests annually. The Zoo is home to Red Panda Ridge named #6 in USA Today 10Best Zoo Exhibits for 2024. In 2021, the Zoo was voted Visit Indiana’s “Summer Bucket List Top Attraction” and is consistently named one of the nation’s Top Ten Zoos for Kids by national media outlets.The Zoo is a conservation leader, investing nearly $275,000 annually in local, regional, and international efforts to protect wildlife and their habitats. The Zoo cares for more than 1,500 animals and participates in 41 cooperative species survival plan programs and 42 taxon advisory groups, which are critical to supporting threatened species.
As a self-supporting facility, the Fort Wayne Zoo receives no tax dollars for daily operations, unlike most accredited zoos where those dollars fund approximately 40% of their annual operating budgets. The Zoo’s mission is made possible thanks to support derived from admissions, memberships, donations, group picnics, special ticketed events, and other visitation-related activities.
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