9:20 a.m. Dec. 17, 2025

Wildlife Safari has added two new African lionesses to the game park in Winston.

Thabisa and Lindelani have joined four other lions in the Lion Loop portion of the park’s drive thru. The pair are 9-year-old sisters who came from the Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina as part of the Species Survival Plan.

Their transfer is a breeding recommendation aimed at supporting the long-term sustainability of African lions, the park said in a release. The sisters are a high genetic match for the male lions at Wildlife Safari, making any future cubs especially valuable to the North American lion population.

Carnivore Supervisor Sarah Huse said the lions have settled in quickly at Wildlife Safari.

“They’re already participating in daily training sessions with their keepers,” Huse said. “Thabisa and Lindelani enjoy stretching and scratching on the mature trees in their yards and they’ve even started roaring along with the rest of our pride.”

The new lion additions can be seen up close during a lion encounter or feeding. Wildlife Safari is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit WildlifeSafari.net for more information.