By KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The St. Louis Zoo has acquired two lions - a brother and sister - from Switzerland, a move officials say will be important for gene diversity for future generations.
The 16-month-old lions are in quarantine, so are not yet on public display. They came from the Basel Zoo in Switzerland and arrived in St. Louis on Tuesday.
Because they are unrelated to any lions in North American zoos, they represent new genes important to breeding future populations.
The zoo's lion population has dipped in recent years, with the deaths of four elderly lions. The last one died in 2006 at the age of 19.