Visitors to Minot’s Roosevelt Park Zoo will have the opportunity to learn more about African lions on Monday, Aug. 10, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. when the zoo observes World Lion Day.

World Lion Day is a day observed worldwide to bring awareness to the African lion and the need for conservation efforts. The number of African lions in the wild is decreasing.

Nicole Barnhart, education, conservation and outreach coordinator at the Minot zoo, said events planned for World Lion Day include an afternoon training session with the lions. Crafts and biofacts will be set up so people can learn about the African lions. There will also be music.

Visitors to the zoo can view the new habitat for African lions. Severson Ahart African Lion Savanna, the new home for the zoo’s two African lions, Kiota and Jasira, opened in September 2019.

Zoo Tot Classes are being planned at the zoo. The classes for children ages 2-5 and their parents will be held starting next month on Thursdays and Fridays from 10-11 a.m. Play activities are incorporated into each class along with science learning to encourage observation, exploration, and discovery. Sign up for the classes can be done at the zoo or online at rpzoo.com.