PHOENIX — Two lion cubs who have called the Phoenix Zoo home since their birth last year will soon be leaving, but before they go, the zoo will be hosting a going-away celebration.

The Phoenix Zoo announced Monday that it will hold a Miami Vice-themed party on Sunday from 9 to 11 a.m. for lion cubs Jasiri and Azizi, who will be relocating to Zoo Miami in early November.

At the party, guests will be able to see the brothers play with special enrichment toys, sign cards for the lions, take themed photos and learn more about lions from members of the ZooTeens volunteer program.

Why are the lion cubs leaving the Phoenix Zoo?

The zoo said this move is being done at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Lion Species Survival Plan.

Additionally, it comes at the age when the lions would normally leave their pride in the wild.

It will also allow for future breeding opportunities.

More information about Phoenix Zoo lion cubs

The cubs became the first African lions to be born at the Phoenix Zoo since 1976 when they entered the world on June 3, 2024.

The cubs received their names through a public naming contest. Jasiri means “brave” and Azizi means “precious.”

They made their public debut in the Predator Passage lion habitat last October.

Jasiri and Azizi have been living with their mother, Zuri, and her sister, Kamara, who both arrived at the zoo in 2023.

Their father, Boboo, was humanely euthanized about three weeks after their birth, after veterinarians found an aggressive form of cancer during surgery.

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