You could say Western New York now has its very own version of Pride Rock. And that's very good news for the bottom line at the Buffalo Zoo.
The recent birth of a male lion cub is expected to boost already rising attendance numbers at one of the region's top attractions.
In 2013 when polar bear cubs Luna and Kali arrived, attendance jumped by more than one-hundred-thousand people, from 412,000 in 2012 to 513,000 visitors the following year.
The zoo is seeing another big boost this year. Attendance is up 56 percent compared to the same period last year, thanks in part to the arrival of a new baby gorilla and a milder winter.
Zoo Membership
2011 427,000
2012 412,000
2013 513,000
2014 460,250
2015 487,000
Zoo membership is also showing modest growth, according to Director of Marketing Todd Geise. It ended 2015 with nearly 19,000 membership households, up about a-thousand membership households from 2012-2014.
