A roar of joy: Delhi zoo welcomes first lion cubs in 16 years
New Delhi: Delhi Zoo is celebrating a rare and joyous occasion as five-year-old Asiatic lioness Mahagauri has given birth to a litter of four cubs. The zoo is closely monitoring her through round-the-clock CCTV surveillance, as the next 24 hours are critical for the first-time mother and her newborns. So far, the mother — Mahagauri—has been seen caring for her cubs, offering a hopeful sign for the zoo.
Zoo director Sanjeet Kumar confirmed that Mahagauri and her cubs are being carefully watched.
"Early morning on Sunday, the five-year-old Asiatic lioness Mahagauri delivered four cubs. The next 24 hours are crucial, and she is currently taking good care of them," he said.
The lioness and her mate were brought to the Delhi Zoo in 2021 from Junagarh. "The last successful
lion breeding
at the zoo occurred in May 2009, when the litter consisted of two cubs," Kumar added. He further explained that the cubs will remain with their mother for now, with plans for veterinary checks in the future depending on her behaviour.
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Among the recent big cat births at the zoo, two royal Bengal tiger cubs were born in May 2023 to tigress Siddhi. While the litter was five cubs, three were stillborn, and only two survived. In Aug 2022, three white tiger cubs were also born at the zoo, among which one died four months later.
This successful lion birth marks a hopeful moment for the Delhi Zoo, which had recently faced controversies surrounding the frequent deaths of animals. April saw the loss of three animals, including a Thamin deer, a Gaur calf, and an Albino blackbuck.
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