NEW DELHI: One of the four Asiatic lion cubs born on Sunday morning has died while another one is under veterinary care after it showed signs of unstable health, Delhi Zoo officials said on Tuesday.
Five-year-old lioness Mahagauri and her cubs were under 24-hour observation as the situation was crucial — it was her first delivery.
According to zoo authorities, one of the cubs was underdeveloped and died on Monday. Later that evening, another cub showed signs of weak health and was immediately shifted to the zoo hospital for hand-rearing.
“The cub is being given specially formulated milk suited for feline species and is under close veterinary supervision. It is responding well to treatment,” a senior official said.
The remaining two cubs are currently with the lioness and are said to be healthy. Constant CCTV monitoring is being done to ensure their well-being, zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said.
Mahagauri and the cubs’ father Maheshwar were brought to Delhi’s National Zoological Park from Gujarat’s Junagadh in 2021.
Officials said Sunday’s births mark the first successful breeding of Asiatic lions at the Delhi Zoo since 2009. The species is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
The last lion cubs were born at Delhi Zoo in May 2009, when a lioness delivered two cubs.
In recent years, the zoo has witnessed the birth of other big cats as well. Two Royal Bengal tiger cubs were born in May 2023, although three others from the litter were stillborn. In August 2022, three white tiger cubs were born, but one died after four months.
The recent birth of Asiatic lion cubs comes as welcome news for the zoo, which has faced criticism over
several animal deaths.
This month alone, a Thamin deer, a Gaur calf and an Albino Blackbuck have died. A female Dhole died in March, while in February the zoo lost a 15-year-old leopard, a 22-year-old jaguar and a
15-year-old nilgai.
Opened in November 1959, the National Zoological Park currently houses 95 species of animals and birds. It received its first lion pair in 1969.
Gujarat is home to the world’s last Asiatic lions, with 674 recorded in the 2020 census, primarily in the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.
Prime Minister Modi announced the 16th lion estimation cycle, set for May. Asiatic lions were reclassified from ‘Critically Endangered’ to ‘Endangered’ in 2008 after successful
conservation efforts.