Southwest
Fort Worth Zoo welcomes 'surprise' lion cub: 'We've been keeping a secret'
The Fort Worth Zoo in Texas announced the arrival of its first lion cub since 2015 — a male cub named Moja.
“Surprise! We’ve been keeping a secret,” the zoo wrote in a Jan. 11, 2024, post on its Facebook page.
“Meet the newest (and arguably the cutest) little addition to the lion pride!”
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The cub was born on Oct. 20, 2023, said the Fort Worth Zoo, to mother, Saba, and father, Jabulani.
His name means “one” in Swahili, the zoo said.
Moja, a male lion cub (shown here), was born on Oct. 20, 2023, said the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas in a January post announcing the animal’s arrival. (Fort Worth Zoo)
The name “seemed fitting, as he is Saba’s first cub,” said the zoo.
He is also the first cub to be born at the Fort Worth Zoo’s “Predators of Asia & Africa” lion habitat, the organization said.
The exhibit opened in June 2023.
Moja’s parents, along with another female lion, Abagabae, were born in South Africa, said the Fort Worth Zoo.
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The zoo is part of a lion breeding program with other zoos in North America.
When Saba, Jabulani and Abagabae arrived at the zoo in 2012, they introduced “a new bloodline of lions into North America, varying the gene pool,” the zoo said.
“The birth of Moja is both a conservation success and another advancement in diversifying the African lion bloodline in the United States,” said the Fort Worth Zoo.
Moja (above) has already grown considerably, said the Fort Worth Zoo. When he was born, he was under three pounds. He now weighs 16 pounds. (Fort Worth Zoo)
Moja now weighs 16 pounds, the zoo noted in a release.
That’s nearly six times as much as he weighed at four days old when he tipped the scales at just 2.7 pounds.
“For the last few months, Moja has been behind the scenes growing and bonding with [his] mom, while keepers have kept a close eye on his development and well-being,” said the zoo.
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Moja has yet to meet his father and the other female adult lion at the zoo, said the Fort Worth Zoo — but this will happen “in the near future” as he continues to grow.
For now, the focus is ensuring that Moja continues to meet milestones and grows bigger and stronger.
“The littlest lion is starting to practice some innate behaviors, as he often plays with Saba’s tail as well as chews on her hind quarters to imitate predator-prey behaviors,” said the Fort Worth Zoo.
Moja has not yet met the other lions at the zoo — but he will in the near future, said the Fort Worth Zoo. (Fort Worth Zoo)
Additionally, his mother Saba “is exhibiting ideal maternal demeanors, including allowing frequent nursing opportunities, and bathing, playing and carrying the cub as she moves about the den.”
It’s not yet clear when the public will be able to see the Fort Worth Zoo’s newest arrival, due to a variety of factors.
“Because this is the first cub born in the new Predators of Asia & Africa lion habitat, zookeepers want to be sure Moja is big and strong enough to navigate the new space, including the water features,” said the zoo.
The weather, too, will play a role in when Moja emerges from “behind the scenes” at the zoo.
“As he continues to grow, the animal care team will determine when a public debut can take place,” said the Fort Worth Zoo.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
A hospital needs help identifying a male patient who was found injured and unconscious in downtown Los Angeles.
The man is believed to be in his 30s, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
He was found injured on the ground on Omar Street and has been hospitalized since June 22.
He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 176 pounds. He has brown eyes, dark brown hair and tattoos across his upper body.
He did not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6885.
The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or, after hours from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., call 323-409-6883. On weekends, call 323-409-5254.
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