Phoenix Zoo's first African lions born there in decades are leaving

The Phoenix Zoo's lion cub brothers are departing Phoenix for South Florida.

Jasiri and Azizi, both born in June 2024 , are leaving in early November 2025 for Zoo Miami, according to the Phoenix Zoo spokesperson Linda Hardwick. The lions have reached the age they would naturally leave their family pride in the wild, Hardwick said. The departure was recommended by the Lion Species Survival Plan, which guides lion management for many zoos, according to Hardwick.