▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Irish ▁Const ab ul ary . ▁Times ▁of ▁trouble ▁and ▁war ▁also ▁caused ▁problems ▁for ▁the ▁zoo . ▁Me at ▁ran ▁out ▁during ▁the ▁E aster ▁R ising ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁l ions ▁and ▁t ig ers ▁alive , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁animals ▁in ▁the ▁zoo ▁were ▁killed . ▁A ▁l ion ▁named ▁Sl ats ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁zoo ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁According ▁to ▁Dublin ▁Z oo : ▁An ▁Illustr ated ▁History ▁by ▁Catherine ▁De ▁Cour cy ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁many ▁l ions ▁fil med ▁by ▁the ▁Metro - G old w yn - M ayer ▁film ▁studio ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁their ▁mas cot ▁Leo . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁the ▁financial ▁situation ▁at ▁the ▁zoo ▁became ▁so ▁serious ▁that ▁the ▁council ▁considered ▁closing ▁it . ▁The ▁Government ▁then ▁gave ▁it ▁a ▁meaning ful ▁annual ▁grant ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁what ▁happens ▁in ▁other ▁European ▁countries . ▁Th ir teen ▁hect ares ▁() ▁of ▁land ▁surrounding ▁the ▁lake ▁in ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁Á ras ▁an ▁U acht ará in ▁were ▁added ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁This ▁made ▁a ▁prof ound ▁improvement ▁in ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁space ▁available ▁for ▁the ▁animals . ▁▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁Kaz ir anga ▁Forest ▁Tra il