(Credit: Patti Woods Truesdell) Simba at the Detroit ZooBy FOX 2 News Staff
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WJBK) -- A 4-year old male lion once owned by the royal family of Qatar will now be reigning as king of the jungle at the Detroit Zoo.
The lion named Simba arrived in the United States from Saudi Arabia in October. The Detroit Zoo says the royal family received Simba as a gift, but after a few years felt he would be better off in a more appropriate environment.
"The owners recognized that they didn't have the expertise to properly care for lions and made the sensible decision to find Simba a good home," Detroit Zoological Society Curator of Mammals Robert Lessnau said in a release. "We're happy to provide sanctuary for Simba at the Detroit Zoo," Lessnau said.
Simba joins the Detroit Zoo's other lions in a recently remodeled 7,500-square-foot habitat.
