A trio of newborn lion cubs may be tiny – but they represent a huge conservation success at London Zoo.
Born to seven-year-old mum, Arya, and 14-year-old dad Bhanu, the litter of three Endangered Asiatic lion cubs arrived on 13 March 2024, with zookeepers able to monitor mum’s six-hour labour via hidden cameras.
Footage captured by the conservation Zoo’s ‘cubcam’ shows mum Arya giving birth, before tending to her tiny infants – gently licking them clean, before laying down to let them suckle.
As well as keeping a close eye on mum during labour, zookeepers have been able to observe the three-week-old cubs’ exciting milestones, including watching them take their first wobbly steps - all without interrupting their precious bonding time with mum.
The three cubs are a huge boost to the conservation breeding programme for Asiatic lions, which are now found only in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India. Recent population estimates suggest that only 600 to 700 individuals remain in the wild, and due to their reliance on just one habitat, they are particularly vulnerable to a disease outbreak or natural disaster.
The international conservation breeding programme for Asiatic lions ensures that good zoos are protecting an important ‘back up’ population of the Endangered big cats, and the cubs born at London will not only be part of this vital programme but will help to inspire millions of people to help protect wildlife around the world.
The three infants have so far spent all their time inside in their custom-built cubbing den with mum and opened their eyes after just 10 days.
Demonstrating her instinctive mothering skills, Arya has left her cubs only to find food or go to the toilet, before returning to patiently nurse her young.
London Zoo, as part of international conservation charity ZSL, is working to protect species like the Asiatic lion, and many other around the world. Support from ZSL’s corporate partner Liontrust enables ZSL to continue care for Asiatic lions like Arya, Bhanu and their three new cubs, and support partners in India to safeguard these big cats in their last remaining wild habitat, the Gir Forest. In return, ZSL’s corporate partners commit to sustainability, conservation and education.