Turkmenistan’s National Museum of Wildlife has welcomed new residents. Two ten-year-old male lions, a lioness of the same age, and a two-year-old female cub have moved from Shymkent to Ashgabat, CGTN reports.

After a journey of 1,500 kilometers, the whiskered newcomers are now exploring their new environment. According to regulations, during the first month the animals are kept in a separate enclosure hidden from visitors. This allows the predators to adapt to new smells, sounds, and diet.

The exchange of animals between zoos in CIS countries not only delights visitors but also helps preserve the genetic diversity of rare species. For now, access to the enclosure is restricted to veterinarians, but soon the quarantine will be lifted and the lion family will officially welcome their first guests. Previously, the museum had only one lion.

Shirin Berdyeva, an employee of the National Museum of Wildlife: “Travel is always stressful for wild animals. But our colleagues from Kazakhstan prepared everything perfectly. They even shared the names: the males are Aitmaz and Kaitmaz, and the females are Nana and Nona. The relocation went smoothly. The predators are currently under mandatory quarantine.”

Veterinarian Meredali Khojanazarov: “These majestic cats were vaccinated by our Kazakh colleagues in advance. We are conducting tests and monitoring their temperature. Their condition is normal, and their appetite is excellent. I believe the adaptation will go well.”