Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications
If you haven’t seen lions Tandie and Ilanga in a while, here’s an update for you. Tandie, whose name means "fire," was born as a triplet at Woodland Park Zoo in 2014. He spent his early adult years at Oakland Zoo before making a royal homecoming in 2022 and inheriting the Savanna “kingdom” after his father passed away. For the last three years, the nearly-11-year-old (his birthday is in October) has shared the Savanna with 8-year-old lioness Ilanga. Recently we checked in with lead animal keeper Katie Graves to see what’s new with Tandie and Ilanga. Read on to learn all about this fabulous pair!
Tandie arrived back at Woodland Park Zoo in October 2022 to be Ilanga’s companion and prospective breeding partner—and they hit it off very quickly. Once we did physical introductions, they became fast friends and companions and have been together ever since. We observed them lying together and playing with enrichment together after only days of being together. However, Ilanga did have a larger "personal bubble" in the beginning but that has gradually gotten smaller as time has passed and you can usually see them snuggled together when strolling by the lion habitat.
Ilanga is the sassier cat of the two and definitely is the one in charge most of the time. Tandie is more laid back and lets Ilanga take the reins for the most part.
Tandie loves smaller boomer balls and other toys that he can bat around all over the habitat with his big paws. Sometimes we will hear him hitting it against the wall of the building where their indoor space is, so it bounces back to him. He’s also been seen braving the moat to retrieve a toy he is playing with if it happens to go in there.
Both cats also love rolls of paper towels (yes ... you heard that right). They will play with a paper towel roll all day until it is completely obliterated!
They also enjoy enrichment in the form of scents and spices such as peppermint extract, cumin, and paprika. They roll around in it just like a housecat with catnip! Tandie and Ilanga are incredibly motivated to train and both of them catch on to new behaviors quickly. Smart kitties!
The African Lion Species Survival Plan—a cooperative breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure healthy, self-sustaining populations of threatened and endangered species—has issued a breeding recommendation for Tandie and Ilanga. We have nothing to announce presently, but parenthood could be in the future for this lovely lion couple so stay tuned.
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| Ilanga and Tandie: Queen and King of the Savanna! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
If you haven’t seen lions Tandie and Ilanga in a while, here’s an update for you. Tandie, whose name means "fire," was born as a triplet at Woodland Park Zoo in 2014. He spent his early adult years at Oakland Zoo before making a royal homecoming in 2022 and inheriting the Savanna “kingdom” after his father passed away. For the last three years, the nearly-11-year-old (his birthday is in October) has shared the Savanna with 8-year-old lioness Ilanga. Recently we checked in with lead animal keeper Katie Graves to see what’s new with Tandie and Ilanga. Read on to learn all about this fabulous pair!
 |
| Tandie is so handsome! This laid back lion lets his female companion Ilanga take the lead in most instances. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Tandie arrived back at Woodland Park Zoo in October 2022 to be Ilanga’s companion and prospective breeding partner—and they hit it off very quickly. Once we did physical introductions, they became fast friends and companions and have been together ever since. We observed them lying together and playing with enrichment together after only days of being together. However, Ilanga did have a larger "personal bubble" in the beginning but that has gradually gotten smaller as time has passed and you can usually see them snuggled together when strolling by the lion habitat.
Ilanga is the sassier cat of the two and definitely is the one in charge most of the time. Tandie is more laid back and lets Ilanga take the reins for the most part.
 |
| Tandie and Ilanga have bonded really well as companions for each other. |
Ilanga likes to be outside 99% of the time no matter what the weather is like while Tandie enjoys hanging out inside in a cozy bed on rainy cold days. However, he does usually follow Ilanga wherever she goes so they aren’t always spending time inside when he would like to so you will likely see them cozied up on their heated shelf closest to the building on habitat on rainy days.
They are both quite playful and each has their favorite items for enrichment. Ilanga’s is a tan plastic toy that is the shape of a cylinder with rounded ends—like a capsule—that has been cut in half. She absolutely loves it, and it will carry it around with her wherever she goes. She has even gone into the moat when it has rolled in there to retrieve it.
They are both quite playful and each has their favorite items for enrichment. Ilanga’s is a tan plastic toy that is the shape of a cylinder with rounded ends—like a capsule—that has been cut in half. She absolutely loves it, and it will carry it around with her wherever she goes. She has even gone into the moat when it has rolled in there to retrieve it.
 |
| A boy and (one of) his toys! Photo: Beth Keplinger/Woodland Park Zoo |
Tandie loves smaller boomer balls and other toys that he can bat around all over the habitat with his big paws. Sometimes we will hear him hitting it against the wall of the building where their indoor space is, so it bounces back to him. He’s also been seen braving the moat to retrieve a toy he is playing with if it happens to go in there.
Both cats also love rolls of paper towels (yes ... you heard that right). They will play with a paper towel roll all day until it is completely obliterated!
 |
| Peek-a-boo—Sassy Ilanga sees you! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
They also enjoy enrichment in the form of scents and spices such as peppermint extract, cumin, and paprika. They roll around in it just like a housecat with catnip! Tandie and Ilanga are incredibly motivated to train and both of them catch on to new behaviors quickly. Smart kitties!
The African Lion Species Survival Plan—a cooperative breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure healthy, self-sustaining populations of threatened and endangered species—has issued a breeding recommendation for Tandie and Ilanga. We have nothing to announce presently, but parenthood could be in the future for this lovely lion couple so stay tuned.
 |
| Tandie and his siblings nuzzling with their father, Xerxes, back in 2015 when they were just cubs. Tandie learned from the best which is good, because he'll have big paw prints to fill if he becomes a father himself! Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo |
About our lions and lion conservation in the wild
Both our lions are a South African subspecies, Panthera leo krugeri, known as the Transvaal lion. The South African lion subspecies ranges in Southern Sahara to South Africa in grassy plains, savanna and open woodlands, excluding the Congo rain forest belt.
Woodland Park Zoo partners with and supports the Lion Landscapes program in and around Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, which is protecting as much as 10% of the remaining population of wild lions in their landscape. The program supports local communities that share the habitat with wildlife and provides tools and education to mitigate human-carnivore conflict in the Ruaha landscape. You can learn more about Lion Landscapes here: https://www.zoo.org/lionlandscapes
Both our lions are a South African subspecies, Panthera leo krugeri, known as the Transvaal lion. The South African lion subspecies ranges in Southern Sahara to South Africa in grassy plains, savanna and open woodlands, excluding the Congo rain forest belt.
Woodland Park Zoo partners with and supports the Lion Landscapes program in and around Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, which is protecting as much as 10% of the remaining population of wild lions in their landscape. The program supports local communities that share the habitat with wildlife and provides tools and education to mitigate human-carnivore conflict in the Ruaha landscape. You can learn more about Lion Landscapes here: https://www.zoo.org/lionlandscapes
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