Lion couple meets on Valentine’s Day

KOCAELİ – Anadolu Agency

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A male and a female lion that have been kept apart in different fields in Istanbul’s Darıca Faruk Yalçın Zoo for over two years were brought together for Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. 

Duruk, the male lion, who was separated from Sinem after he refused to look after their triplet cubs that were born two-and-half-years ago, were reunited after the cubs were sent to the southern province of Antalya. 

The education and marketing director of the zoo, Gökmen Aydın, said six-year-old Duruk was brought to the zoo when it was younger, while Sinem, 6, was born in the zoo. 

He said the couple had become a family long time ago. 
 
“Sherlock is their first baby but unfortunately they did not look after him. We keep him in a different place. Then they had their triplets, but we sent them to Antalya. Male lions may be jealous of the mother’s attention on the babies. Therefore we kept them apart for the first six months. But Duruk refused the babies and we had to keep them apart for two-and-half-years, until we sent the babies to Antalya last week,” he said.  

Aydın said Duruk did not embrace Sinem at first. “Now they are only looking at each other. We will bring them together again in the coming days,” he said. 

One of the most popular animals in the zoo, Samir the rhino, was brought near Komala, a rhino that was transferred from Chester Zoo in the U.K., to become a family. They will be brought together in the same field in April. 

The zoo officials also gave a heart-shaped meat for Sherlock, who lives alone in the zoo. They are now looking for a female lion for him.