3 lion cubs born in Pipli zoo struggle to survive

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, June 26

After an Asiatic lioness bred in captivity discarded cubs at the Pipli zoo, wildlife enthusiasts are keeping their fingers crossed about the survival of the 19-day-old wild cats.

According to the state wildlife authorities, the cubs, one of them a female, are under watch of veterinary experts from Haryana and Gujarat.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Anil Hooda said that five cubs were born to a pair of Gir lions, Sakshi and Mohan, at the zoo on June 7.

“Two of the newborn cubs did not survive as they had paralysis. During constant monitoring, it was found that Sakshi did not lick the three cubs in 24 hours and she was not lactating. Following protocol, we decided to hand-rear the cubs as the lioness had discarded her newborn,” he said.

As per standard operation procedure of the Central Zoo Authority, the unnamed cubs were being fed special artificial milk powder manufactured in the USA. Hooda said another two months were extreme crucial for the cubs’ survival and they had been put into quarantine to ensure protection from infection.

He said it was for the first time that lion cubs survived in Haryana after birth and the department was making efforts to keep the cubs alive. The pair of lions was brought to Pipli zoo from Junagadh in Gujarat in December 2015. Sakshi delivered in two consecutive years, but the cubs did not survive, said Hooda.

“Like human babies, cubs not fed by their mothers tend to have low immunity. Being born in captivity, these three cubs will not be set free in the jungle. Zoos will be their home,” he said.

Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) ML Rajvanshi said the cubs were kept in a controlled environment at the zoo to beat the humid conditions. Only experts were allowed to go near the cubs to ensure safety, he said. He stated the cubs had started opening their eyes and were being fed every two hours.

He added that since lions born in captivity had low survival rate, their health was under watch. “Unlike tigers, lions live in a pride or large group in natural conditions. Lionesses the group collectively take care of cubs. But since Sakshi was born in captivity, she did not feed the babies,” he further said.