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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Ducks primary source of bird flu outbreak at Gkp zoo: CZA
Migratory ducks were the primary source of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) outbreak at the Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur recently, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) probe committee has disclosed in its report. The report also identified crows as key contributors to the spread of the virus, which led to the deaths of three big cats. The district authorities received the report on Saturday evening. Zoo director Vikas Yadav confirmed, 'The investigation report, along with precautionary instructions, has been received.' The zoo will now focus on protecting animals from migratory birds, enhancing biosafety measures, and conducting regular health screenings. The outbreak claimed the lives of a tiger Kesri on March 30, a tigress Shakti on May 7 and a leopard Mona on May 8. After confirmation of the virus by the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, the zoo was closed to the public in three separate spells from May 13 to June 10. This closure may be extended further depending on upcoming lab results, officials indicated. According to the report, the origin of the bird flu strain points to migratory ducks at Ramgarh Lake, about three kilometres from the zoo. Ducks are known reservoir hosts for the influenza virus and often do not display symptoms despite being infected. After a hailstorm on May 1, several dead ducks were found near Ramgarh Lake, but they allegedly went unnoticed by officials. The CZA conducted an inspection of the zoo on May 19 and 20, collecting samples from both inside and outside the zoo premises. Each year, thousands of migratory birds flock to Ramgarh Lake, drawing tourists and bird watchers. The CZA report emphasizes the need to address the risk of infectious diseases. The report has recommended regular disinfection of the area, restriction of public access during outbreaks, and enhanced coordination between the forest, health, and municipal departments to prevent recurrence. Zoo director Yadav also stated that five infected animals — two leopard cubs, a cockatiel, and a vulture — are undergoing treatment and showing signs of improvement. However, sample examination reports of these animals sent to NIHSAD are still awaited. Additionally, the second negative reports for 35 other samples are also pending.
Scroll.in
a day ago
- Scroll.in
Toxicology levels at Mumbai's Deonar dumping ground four times permissible limit: Report
The levels of toxicology indicators at the Deonar dumping ground in Mumbai are up to four times the permissible limits prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board, a study commissioned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has shown, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. The study comes against the backdrop of plans to relocate residents of Dharavi, who will be displaced due to the slum redevelopment project, to the dumping ground site after clearing it. The 326-acre landfill in the city's eastern suburbs is India's largest and oldest dumping ground, with the garbage mounting up to 35 to 40 metres, as high as a 12-storey building. It holds nearly 1.85 crore metric tonnes of legacy, or aged and accumulated, waste. Several reports have pointed out that settlements around the dumping ground are exposed to mercury and toxic gases. The waste characterisation study commissioned by the municipal corporation analysed the levels of Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand and Total Dissolved Solids in the waste and leachate, or liquid leaching out of the waste piles, at Deonar, The Indian Express reported. Biochemical Oxygen Demand is the amount of oxygen that microorganisms require to decompose the organic matter under aerobic conditions, while Chemical Oxygen Demand is the total amount of oxygen required to break down the organic matter by chemical oxidation. The Total Dissolved Solids refers to the measure of all inorganic and organic materials dissolved in water. All three are key indicators of environmental toxicology. Higher levels indicate increased toxins. According to the study, the average Biochemical Oxygen Demand in the leachate was 390 milligrams per litre, according to The Indian Express. The permissible limit of this indicator is 100 milligrams per litre (land) and 30 milligrams per litre (water). Additionally, the average Chemical Oxygen Demand was 1,002 milligrams per litre, with the permissible limit being 250 milligrams per litre (water), the study noted. It added that the average Total Dissolved Solids level was 6,550 milligrams per litre. The permissible limit was 2,100 milligrams per litre. The report also noted that 'inert waste', including construction debris and non-biodegradable material, comprised 30-50% of the waste, according to The Indian Express. 'This type of waste poses challenges for disposal and management due to its… low degradation rate,' the newspaper quoted the study as having said. The study was commissioned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in 2023 and conducted by NETEL India Limited, in a joint venture with NM Consultants-SKW Soil and Surveys, The Indian Express reported. The report was made public in May after the municipal corporation floated a Rs 2,368 crore tender to clean up the site by a process of bioremediation, a natural or accelerated process that uses biological organisms to clean up environmental contamination, within three years. Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), told The Indian Express that the tender document has mentioned that the methodology of processing the legacy waste, including the leachate, should be ideated by the contractor who will be awarded the contract. 'After the contractor submits the proposal, we [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation] will analyse it and, if required, a peer review process will be carried out through a reputed agency,' Dighavkar said. 'After we approve the methodology, work will start on the ground.' He added that the contractor for the work would be finalised by June 23. The Dharavi slum redevelopment project is being carried out through a special purpose vehicle, in which the Adani Group holds an 80% stake and the state government holds the remaining 20%. Along with the rehabilitation of slum residents, it involves redeveloping buildings and informal tenements as well as developing infrastructure such as water supply and sewage in Dharavi, considered to be among the world's largest slums. Until the Dharavi redevelopment is complete – a process that could take decades – the Maharashtra government has decided to relocate residents to various neighbourhoods across Mumbai. A large section of residents, those who have been declared 'ineligible' to receive new homes in Dharavi, will be permanently shifted to the dumping ground in Deonar, which is 12 km away. Ineligible residents are those who either live on upper floors in Dharavi's shanties or built their tenements after 2000.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
10 new Covid-19 cases in Gurgaon, active cases in district stand at 36
The Haryana health department said it identified 10 new Covid cases from the 315 samples tested in Gurgaon Saturday. The number of active cases in the district now stands at 36, with 30 patients having recovered so far this year from a cumulative of 66 cases. Only one of Saturday's cases has a travel history, involving a 31-year-old male resident of Sector 73. The other nine cases are: a 65-year-old female resident of Sector 48, a 33-year-old male resident of Sector 83, a 28-year-old male resident of Sector 13, a 13-year-old male resident of Sector 50, a 28-year-old male resident of Sector 28, a 25-year-old male resident of Sector 52, a 32-year-old male resident of Sector 52, a 26-year-old male resident of Sector 57, and a 23-year-old male resident of Sector 37. There have been no Covid deaths yet in Haryana in the latest spread of cases, and all patients in Gurgaon are under home isolation. The health department had earlier stated that the situation was under control and that there was no cause for concern with the rise in mild, symptomatic Covid-19 cases. 'All the pandemic-era precautionary measures and advisories, including mask-wearing, have been reissued and reiterated to hospitals. For now, we have made available 500 beds across isolation wards in government hospitals and other sites for any rise in serious cases. We will increase the number if and when the need arises. We have told hospitals to carry out tests for those showing symptoms. There is no reason to panic, the situation is well under control,' Dr Alka Singh, Chief Medical Officer, Gurgaon, told The Indian Express last month. 'It (Covid) is an endemic (disease) now. Many people with symptoms are likely to test positive,' Dr Singh had added. Following a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia, India too has seen fresh cases, with a majority of them being reported from Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. However, most of the cases are mild and not associated with severity or mortality. Around the time the second wave of Covid-19 peaked in India, the Haryana government launched a door-to-door screening programme in rural areas across the state on May 15, 2021. By June 3 of that year, over 1.66 crore people had been screened, which was roughly 60 per cent of the state's 2.91 crore population. In May 2021, the transmission rate of the disease had been found to be rapidly increasing in rural areas. A survey conducted by the state's health department on Covid-19 patients admitted to various hospitals revealed that 68 per cent were from urban areas, while 32 per cent of the patients were from rural areas. During the second wave, Haryana imposed a one-week lockdown on May 3 2021), which was extended multiple times. However, as new cases continued to decline, the state government gradually relaxed various restrictions.
