Lion Cubs Say Goodbye

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Three of Zoo Atlanta's African lions are moving to a new home at a Mexican adventure park.

The 21-month-old lions will leave Atlanta on Thursday morning to travel to Africam Safari, a park in Puebla, Mexico, boasting more than 2,500 animals and safari-style tours. The brothers, who each weigh more than 300 pounds, will travel by truck to Chicago and then board a cargo flight to Mexico City.

The trio was part of the first litter of African lions born at the zoo in more than a decade.

African lions are not endangered but are considered a vulnerable species. Experts estimate the world's population of African lions has been reduced by nearly half in the last two decades from environmental changes and hunting. Officials estimate there are now between 23,000 and 47,000 African lions living in the wild.

AP