The joy at Nuremberg Zoo about the newly born lion cubs was short-lived. The first baby died shortly after birth. The other three were eaten by the lion mother.
Nuremberg – Nuremberg Zoo announced sad news on Wednesday (17 May). The four newborn lion cubs are dead. The first cub was born on May 12 and died after a few hours. The three siblings, who were born on the same day, have also died.
Lion cubs in Nuremberg Zoo: Lion mother eats her babies
According to Nuremberg Zoo, a pathological examination revealed that the lungs of the first lion cub did not fully unfold. So far, pathologists have found no signs of infection. However, this diagnosis did not apply to the other three lion cubs. Shortly after birth, the lion mother ate her babies. As a spokeswoman Merkur.de announced, the lion cubs did not yet have names.
The lions in the Nuremberg Zoo. © IMAGO / suedraumfoto
As the Nuremberg Zoo explained in a press release, this was "not unusual behavior" in lions. "When she first casts, a lioness is still inexperienced. She must first learn how to raise young animals. That's why it often happens that rearing first-time mothers doesn't work," says zoo veterinarian Hermann Will.
Lion parents reunited: mother was about four months pregnant
The lioness Aarany became pregnant towards the end of January. The gestation period for Asiatic lions is an average of 110 days, which the employees adjusted to. At the beginning of May, they closed the predator house to visitors so that Aarany would have her peace of mind during childbirth.
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In the meantime, she and Kiron the lion have been reunited and are in the outdoor area of the zoo. Both lions are doing well. Despite the events surrounding Aarany and her children, Nuremberg Zoo hopes that lion growth may occur. "The two are still together. This means that mating can occur again at any time as soon as Aarany is in heat," said a spokeswoman Merkur.de. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the subspecies of Asiatic lions is considered critically endangered.
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