Zuri and her magnificent mane.
This iconic fluff typically makes it easy to determine the male among a pride.
Females, by contrast, are typically a light, sleeker tan.
Zuri and her magnificent mane. (Photo: Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center)
However, the beauty of nature is never so simple.
Topeka’s three-lion pride lost its male lion Avus in October 2020.
Zuri was left behind with another female.
Zuri shows off her fur. (Photo: Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center)
She is the dominant personality, according to her keepers.
Since the loss of Avus, keepers noticed the fluffy mane developing on Zuri.
It is shorter and sparser than a full-grown male’s mane.
Another 18-year-old lioness namedBridgetalso sprouted a tufty mane at the Oklahoma City Zoo in 2017.
In this case, a tumor was discovered on Bridget’s adrenal gland.
The tumor triggered raised levels of cortisol and androstenedione, likely causing the mane growth.
It’s possible that Zuri’s advanced age has perhaps shifted her hormone levels, creating a similar effect.
Whatever the cause, Zuri is certainly rocking her new look.
Zuri shows off her fur.
