Every once in awhile, Mother Nature likes to pull a fast one on us. Normally male lions have those fluffy manes which grow as they reach their sexual maturity at about two years of age. Isn’t that what we all expected when visiting the zoo and the lion habitat? After all the male is in charge of the pride – remember Lion King, and that beautiful mane setting Simba apart?
At the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center in Kansas, however the 18-year-old lioness Zuri has recently grown a luxurious mane. Yes, a lady lion grew a mane.
Two years ago, the three lion pride at the zoo lost its male Avus. Zuri and Asante were left behind to mourn. (Zuri and Asante mean “beautiful” and “thank you” in Swahili.) And it seems that Zuri is the dominant gal, and since Avus has passed away, zookeepers have noticed Zuri growing a mane. Albeit, the mane is shorter and not as much of a bouffant style as a male’s mane, nevertheless it is not known if this sad event had anything to do with Zuri’s pretty neck fluff.
According to IFLScience, after drawing blood from other females who had grown manes, the veterinary staff expected to find elevated testosterone levels like those found in one group of lions in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Five females not only had grown manes but also displayed male-associated behaviors like roaring, scent-marking, and mounting other females. When Bridget, the female lion grew a mane at the Oklahoma zoo, the results were completely different. Scientists reported that cortisol which regulates metabolism and the immune system, played a big part. And there is even a possibility the lioness might have a small tumor on her adrenal gland.
Ultimately, there doesn’t seem to be a health risk, and if Zuri grows a bit more facial hair, maybe it’s all part of aging. In the wild lions generally live for 18 years; in captivity when properly cared for, they can live nearly 30 years.
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Higher elevation of cortisol is caused by stress. Cortisol is a natural steroid our body makes.
A nodule (mass) in your adrenal gland or a tumor in the brain’s pituitary gland can trigger your body to make too much cortisol. This can cause a condition called Cushing syndrome. It can lead to rapid weight gain, skin that bruises easily, muscle weakness, diabetes, and many other health problems. I would suggest the zoo do a MRI on the lioness. At 18 years old nothing really can be done for the lioness but for research purposes a MRI would give insite into how lions bodies work in captivity.