Home, sweet home! The Oregon Zoo's three African lions have moved into their new enclosure at the highly anticipated Predators of the Serengeti exhibit, opening to the public on Sept. 12.

One of the most ambitious endeavors in the zoo's history, the nearly 2.5-acre exhibit provides expansive naturalistic environments for a variety of African predators, including cheetahs, African wild dogs and red-billed hornbills.

The exhibit also marks the return of lions to the Oregon Zoo.

In 1998, lions were phased out of the zoo to make room for a new exhibit, and visitors noticed. After countless requests, the zoo's "Bring Back the Roar" campaign has fulfilled visitors' wishes by returning the "king of beasts" to the zoo.

"Our three lions are adjusting well to their new home," said Mike Keele, acting zoo director. "The roar is officially back at the Oregon Zoo."

The male lion, Zawadi Mungu, came from the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and the female lions, Neka and Kya, came respectively from the Virginia Zoo and Wisconsin's Racine Zoo.

"The lions are all under 2 years of age, which makes it easier for them to bond and become a unified pride," said Chris Pfefferkorn, the zoo's general curator. "It's a bit more difficult to get older lions to form new relationships."

The new lion enclosure features open grassland, warm rocks, a heated den and a demonstration theater, where visitors can watch keepers interact with the lions through a protective mesh screen. The enclosure is surrounded by huge granite boulders modeled after African kopjes, natural rock formations commonly found on the Serengeti plains.

The Predators of the Serengeti exhibit not only provides top-notch habitats for its animals, but also addresses the pressing need to sustain healthy captive populations of endangered species like the African lion.

Zawadi Mungu, Neka and Kya will participate in the Oregon Zoo's new lion breeding program, a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for African lions.

"Bringing lions to the zoo gives us the opportunity to help create a promising new chapter in the conservation story of a species that is sharply declining in the wild," Keele said.

The lion exhibit received generous support from many donors, including:

• The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation and Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation (funded the lion habitat) Columbia Sportswear Company (sponsored the exhibit's Mane Street)
  
• Mary Clark (funded the lion overlook viewing area)
  
• The Standard (sponsored a lion viewing area)
  
• An anonymous benefactor (funded the lions' demonstration theater)
  
• The Jay and Diane Zidell Charitable Foundation (funded the Roaring Canyon feature)
  
• Rocky and Julie Dixon (funded the lions' den viewing area)
  
• Banfield, The Pet Hospital (sponsored the lion sculptures)

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $10.50 (12-64), seniors $9 (65+), children $7.50 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.