The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is asking visitors to help “Dub the Cub” by submitting lion-cub name ideas with a $5 donation, with entries open now through July 17.
A new lion cub is already learning the routines of her own small world, and now Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium wants the public to be part of it.
The zoo shared behind-the-scenes video of its newest arrival— a female lion cub born in April—grooming herself as she grows. In a June 16 statement, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium said the cub is still without a name and invited people to help “Dub the Cub.”
Name submissions are open to the public for a $5 donation per entry. People can submit ideas online through the zoo’s website now through Friday, July 17.
Zoo staff will vet the submissions and choose a final name, which the zoo plans to announce on social media.
The zoo said entries can be inspired by the cub’s “regal heritage,” her “emerging purr-sonality,” or “pure imagination,” and that submissions are welcome from lion lovers of all ages.
For those wondering where the donation goes, the zoo said funds from the naming effort will support its animal care, conservation and education initiatives.
The cub is expected to make her public debut in late summer. Until then, she is living in a behind-the-scenes area with her mother, Scarlett, while other adult lions remain out and about for visitors to see.
The timing of her arrival is already part of the zoo’s recent history. Scarlett and Hondo welcomed the lion cub a little more than two months ago on Easter Sunday, April 5. The zoo also described typical lion-cub development: they are born blind. and their eyes open within about a week or two. At birth, lion cubs generally weigh about two or three pounds.
Her arrival marks the first time Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has had a lion birth since July 2020, when lioness Abana mothered three cubs.
For fans planning a visit before the cub’s late-summer debut, the zoo said tickets for admission now through Sept. 30 cost between $25 and $36, depending on the specific ticket chosen. Prices vary based on guests’ ages and included experiences.
Pittsburgh Zoo lion cub Dub the Cub animal care conservation education naming contest Scarlett Hondo Abana tickets