Monarto Safari Park is roaring with excitement to announce the names of the park’s four littlest lions.

Introducing male cub, Bahati (meaning lucky in Swahili), and the three female cubs; Mshindi (meaning champion in Swahili), Lela (meaning dark beauty in Swahili) and Kadija (meaning respected and trustworthy in Swahili).

Over 460 people leapt at the chance to help name the cheeky cubs via an online voting competition.

Monarto Safari Park’s African Lion keeper, Alli Quinn said the cubs are now four months old and the names paw-fectly reflect the cubs’ emerging personalities.

“Husani’s four cubs are growing up fast and we’re thrilled to now have beautiful Swahili names connecting the cubs to their wild cousins in Africa.

“The little boy is very chill while the three sisters are feisty and have a lot of attitude!

“It was fantastic to see so many people get involved in the naming competition and we hope to see this love for lions in the community inspire people to get behind conservation efforts supporting this special species,” said Alli.

Since making their debut to the public in late December, thousands of visitors have come along for a wild day out to watch the cubs explore the huge 10.8 hectare habitat this summer school holidays.

“The cubs are getting more and more confident every day and have started venturing close to the Lions 360 dome, which has been a really special experience for the public.

“The cubs are keeping us on our toes. They’re always playing or getting up to mischief, and it’s great to be able to share this with the public over school holidays,” finished Alli.

Husani’s four cubs are a welcome addition to the pride, which is the largest in Australia with 16 lions, but are also an important step forward for conservation of the species.

Sadly, African Lions are vulnerable to extinction, with an estimated 20,000 remaining in the wild. Zoos SA is on a mission to save the species from extinction and have bred over 30 African Lions at Monarto Safari Park.

Zoos SA’s impact on conservation also extends to on the ground work in Africa. Zoos SA supports the Zambian Carnivore Program, which does amazing work in conservation research, habitat restoration and education.

As a conservation charity, each time the public visits their favourite animal at Monarto Safari Park or purchases a membership or gift from the Zoo Shop, they are helping to save the king of the jungle for future generations.

Monarto Safari Park is open every day of the year, visit the website for more information: www.monartosafari.com.au.