Lion cubs at zoo to make their public debut during Onam

Lion cubs at zoo to create their public debut during Onam Six-and-a-half-month-old Suri and Simba, born to Nayla and Leo, beat the odds to grow healthy and active.

Key points

• Suri and Simba, born to lion couple Nayla and Leo, are at present housed a couple of enclosures away from their mother.
• At six-and-a-half months, Suri and Simba, the lion cubs at the Thiruvananthapuram zoo, are outgrowing their rambunctious phase.
• Zoo authorities are right to exercise caution for Nayla lacked the ability to nurture the two cubs when they were born in January.
• It is not that they are not curious or do not play or act naughty, but as zoo keeper Anil Kumar notes they are growing.
• This time, the zoo authorities were extra alert, but the condition of the cubs was poor after a long labour for Nayla.

Playtime at the temporary enclosure for Simba and Suri, the lion cubs fostered and raised by caretakers at the city zoo, in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN.

It is not that they are not curious or do not play or act naughty, but as zoo keeper Anil Kumar notes they are growing. "After all, they are lions. When we hold them or play with them, we might obtain 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."

Suri and Simba, born to lion couple Nayla and Leo, are at present 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. Since they first have to become accustomed to each other, "That will take time, even years. Else, Nayla will attack them, " notes Anil Kumar.

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 after 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. Shortly, 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 shortly 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 particularly critical since the cubs were vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia or even succumbing to death. The zoo authorities additionally had a scare when the female cub developed hypoglycaemia. Nevertheless, they were able to overcome all the challenges through full-time care of the cubs.

Meanwhile, the cubs shortly gained weight and began eating boneless chicken with milk. At two months, milk was discontinued and they were fed small meat pieces. After almost 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 sizeable cats.

Fed on a diet of beef and chicken, the cubs are healthy and active in their new space. Dr. Nikesh Kiran is additionally keeping a close eye on their expansion. "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, " notes zoo superintendent T.V. Anil Kumar.

Taken together, the developments around lion cubs at zoo to make their public debut during Onam point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.