Lion cubs at zoo to make their public debut during Onam
At si and-a-half months, Soori and Simba, the lion cubs at the Thiruvananthapuram zoo, are outgrowing their rambunctious phase. It is not that they are
At si and-a-half months, Soori and Simba, the lion cubs at the Thiruvananthapuram zoo, are outgrowing their rambunctious phase. It is not that they are not curious or do not play or act naughty, but as zoo keeper Anil Kumar says they are growing. “After all, they are lions. When we hold them or play with them, we might get scratches or surface wounds from their nails. Their teeth too are becoming sharp since they are on a meat diet. They do not harm us as we have taken care of them since they were born. But as they grow, one can see the change in them.” Soori and Simba, born to lion couple Nayla and Leo, are currently housed a couple of enclosures away from their mother.
At times, they are put in an enclosure adjacent to Nayla’s so that mother and cubs can become familiar with each other. But not together. “That will take time, even years, since they first have to become accustomed to each other. Else, Nayla will attack them,” says Anil Kumar. Exercising caution Zoo authorities are right to exercise caution for Nayla lacked the ability to nurture the two cubs when they were born in January. Nayla did not look after the cubs or feed them. This was the case with her three previous litters too. The cubs born then did not survive. This time, the zoo authorities were extra alert, but the condition of the cubs was poor following a long labour for Nayla. Zoo veterinary surgeon Nikesh Kiran tried to provide them emergency care, but Nayla did not have enough milk to feed them.
Soon, the cubs were transferred to the zoo hospital for fostering and a team comprising keeper Anil Kumar and livestock inspectors Jijo and Nahas began to look after them. As soon as they began to suckle milk on their own, they were shifted from the incubator to a special room. Initially, they were handfed powdered milk every four to six hours. The first 30 days were very critical since the cubs were vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia or even succumbing to death. The zoo authorities also had a scare when the female cub developed hypoglycaemia. However, they were able to overcome all the challenges through full-time care of the cubs. The cubs soon gained weight and began eating boneless chicken with milk. At two months, milk was discontinued and they were fed small meat pieces.
After nearly three months in the hospital ‘nursery,’ they were moved to an enclosure near Nayla to prepare them for the shift to an open enclosure like the ones for the other big cats. Fed on a diet of beef and chicken, the cubs are healthy and active in their new space. Nikesh Kiran is also keeping a close eye on their growth. “Since visitors have not had a glimpse of them as yet, it is hoped that the cubs will be able to make their public debut during Onam,” says zoo superintendent T.V. Anil Kumar.
The BriefWire