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Happy birthday: lionesses Jamila, Malaika and Kumani are plastering their present at Gelsenkirchen Zoo
Photo: Bernd Thissen / dpa
The day before their birthday, they received the first presents: a “Happy Birthday” garland and 20 kilograms of beef – the lion triplets born a year ago in Gelsenkirchen Zoo should be happy with that.
"They have developed splendidly and already weigh 65 to 70 kilos," zoo spokeswoman Franziska Gerk told the German Press Agency on Friday.
Hardly distinguishable from the outside
On October 8, 2021, lioness Fiona gave birth to three offspring.
The kittens, which were still fluffy at the time, were only presented to the public after a good four weeks, which the trio of girls initially spent in a protected whelping box.
Since then, Jamila, Kumani and Malaika have been delighting visitors to the Africa World of Experience.
Externally, the three now pubescent big cats are almost indistinguishable, but their characters are: »Kumani is very curious, Malaika is a real daddy's child and Jamila is somewhere in between.
She first looks at everything calmly and then goes her own way,” explained Gerk.
In addition to lion mother Fiona, her twin sister Lissy also participated in the rearing and upbringing of the lively triplets, while lion father Bantu always watched over his gang of ladies.
swe/dpa