{"id":346150,"date":"2026-07-20T16:11:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/346150\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T16:11:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:11:21","slug":"busch-gardens-tampa-bays-improved-lion-and-hyena-exhibit-opens-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/346150\/","title":{"rendered":"Busch Gardens Tampa Bay\u2019s improved lion and hyena exhibit opens this week"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-perfmatters-preload=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"497\" data-attachment-id=\"364875\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-lions-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-3-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1633&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1633\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-7M5&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1739307587&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;67&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Busch Gardens Tampa Bay-lions-3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Hugo (L) and Henri, who are coming to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay from the Oklahoma City Zoo.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-3-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C497&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-3.jpg\" alt=\"A photograph of two young male lions, Hugo and Henri, who are coming to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay from the Oklahoma City Zoo. The two lions stand side-by-side atop a rounded, sandy brown rock hill under a bright blue sky with light, wispy clouds. Hugo stands on the left, looking slightly off-camera to the left, while Henri stands on the right, looking directly forward. Both lions feature early stages of short, developing manes around their necks. In the background behind the hill, sparse, leafless winter trees stretch upwards, and a tall wooden post is partially visible on the far left.\" class=\"wp-image-364875\"  \/>Hugo (L) and Henri, who are coming to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay from the Oklahoma City Zoo. Credit: c\/o Busch Gardens<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stroll through Busch Gardens\u2019 Edge of Africa used to be a surefire way to come face-to-face with lions and hyenas, but the Tampa theme park closed the area before 2025 for renovations to the space first opened in the late-\u201990s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The improvements are finally done, and representatives for <a href=\"https:\/\/community.cltampa.com\/location\/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-12517846\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Busch Gardens Tampa Bay<\/a> said that <a href=\"https:\/\/buschgardens.com\/tampa\/zoo\/animal-experiences\/lion-and-hyena-ridge\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lion &amp; Hyena Ridge<\/a> will be ready for visitors on July 25, the day after passholders get a sneak peek.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A press release says the 35,000 square-foot-exhibit includes a 270-degree viewing area, new habitats for the animals and four lion brothers\u2014Pascal, Lou, Henri and Herman from the Oklahoma City Zoo\u2014all born in 2024. Hyenas Dazi and Cazi, who already called Busch Gardens home, are also part of the exhibit.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"555\" data-attachment-id=\"364873\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-lions-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-1-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1821&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1821\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-7M5&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1739307689&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;70&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Busch Gardens Tampa Bay-lions-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-1-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C555&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-364873\"  \/>Credit: c\/o Busch Gardens<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" data-attachment-id=\"364874\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-lions-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-2-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-7M5&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1739290564&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Busch Gardens Tampa Bay-lions-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-2-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-364874\"  \/>Credit: c\/o Busch Gardens<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"529\" data-attachment-id=\"364877\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-lions-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-4-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1735&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1735\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-7M5&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1739290709&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Busch Gardens Tampa Bay-lions-4\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-4-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C529&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-lions-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-364877\"  \/>Credit: c\/o Busch Gardens<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"488\" data-attachment-id=\"364878\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-hyenas-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-Hyenas-4-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1602&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1602\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-1&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1690488665&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;70&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Busch Gardens Tampa Bay-Hyenas 4\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dazi, a hyena at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-Hyenas-4-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C488&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Busch-Gardens-Tampa-Bay-Hyenas-4.jpg\" alt=\"A wildlife photograph of Dazi, a spotted hyena, exploring the outdoor habitat at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The hyena stands center frame on a reddish-brown, tiered rock formation, facing forward and looking directly toward the camera. Its coat features characteristic dark brown spots over a lighter tan fur, with a hint of warm orange-brown coloration along the top of its neck and shoulders. The background shows the enclosure's naturalistic layout, with sandy ground textures, additional rock walls, and a patch of vibrant green grass growing along the upper left ridge.\" class=\"wp-image-364878\"  \/>Dazi, a hyena at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Credit: c\/o Busch Gardens<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/altnewsfoundation.org\/cl-tampa\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/tampa-newslettersignup-page\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow us:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAiECLjru3gB6BLYKOKFLfkVZsqFAgKIhAi467t4AegS2CjihS35FWb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbreak.com\/@c\/1599764?s=01\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/CreativeLoafingTampa\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cltampabay\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cltampabay\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/cltampabay.bsky.social\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"collection-link has-small-font-size\">This article appears in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/collections\/july-16-22-2026\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">July 16 \u2013 22, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead his 2016 intro letter\u00a0and disclosures from 2022 and 2021.\u00a0Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief&#8230;\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/author\/rroa\/\" rel=\"author nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore by Ray Roa\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hugo (L) and Henri, who are coming to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay from the Oklahoma City Zoo. Credit:&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346151,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[19616,135,137,136],"class_list":["post-346150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-busch-gardens-tampa-bay","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}