Established in 1948, the park is located within Arada locality, close to the Martyr’s Memorial Square at Sidist Kilo. Prior to the establishment of the park, several Lions were hunted in the southern and southwestern parts of Ethiopia and presented to Emperor Haile Selassie as gifts. The Lions were kept at the Emperor’s Palace, known as Genete Le’ul, now located within the present University of Addis Ababa. The Lions were subsequently transferred to the Lion Zoo Park. Lions kept in the zoo are among the rare and endemic species in Ethiopia: Leopantels Abyssinica. The park accommodates Lions with cubs, tortoises, baboons, monkeys, apes, rabbits, ducks and some fish.