How Delhi zoo is hand-rearing a lion cub after celebrating the birth of its first litter in 16 years
At the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Delhi, a newborn female Asiatic lion cub is now at the centre of a delicate rescue effort.
The veterinary staff has been working around the clock to hand-rear the cub after it was found to be weak and neglected by its mother. Nestled in a temperature-controlled enclosure within the zoo hospital, the newborn is being fed kitten milk replacer, a special milk formula, every two hours and it is beginning to respond well to intensive care, senior zoo officials told The Indian Express on Wednesday.
Born on Sunday as part of a rare litter of four—the first in 16 years at the Delhi zoo—the cub initially remained with its mother, five-year-old Mahagauri. The next day, however, it was moved to the zoo hospital after showing signs of weakness.
'Presently, hand-rearing of the lion cub is ongoing at the zoo hospital of NZP. The cub is stabilising and responding well for now. She is on kitten milk replacer, which is being given every two hours, and remains under continuous monitoring,' said Dr Abhijit Bhawal, veterinary officer at the Delhi Zoo.
The process is not new for the zoo authorities as they have previously hand-reared tiger cubs as well. Additionally, the cub's body weight is being continuously monitored.
'The cub was born on April 27 along with three others. Unfortunately, one was underdeveloped and did not survive. The current cub under care was shifted to the hospital after she was found weak and unattended by the mother. The remaining two cubs are with the lioness and are doing well,' added Bhawal.
Dr Sanjeet Kumar, director of the zoo, listed to The Indian Express the parameters that are being monitored: daily body weight and other vitals, fixing quantity of milk per feed and interval of feeding, pre-feeding and post-feeding protocols, and sampling of faeces.
The Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, laid down by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), mandates a nursery for the hand-rearing of animal infants in recognised zoos. As per a CZA publication titled 'Hand rearing of wild mammals in captivity', 'Hand rearing practice generally includes some basic arrangement like provision of sanitation, warm environment, a suitable feeding regimen, attention to excretions (emptying of the bowels) and general health.'
'From record-keeping and physical examinations to intensive care, sanitation, housing, and providing the appropriate milk formula, managing infants — especially of large mammal species — is both challenging and highly time-sensitive,' said Bhawal. There are species-specific protocols for hand-rearing, as per CZA.
Intervention by veterinarians and zookeepers is carried out only if necessary, as the primary focus remains on minimal human interference.
The cubs are fathered by Maheshwar, a male lion brought to the zoo in an animal exchange programme from Gujarat's Sakkarbaug Zoo in 2021.
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