It’s only March, and it’s already been a massive year for babies at Zoos Victoria, with an adorable giraffe calf and a litter of fuzzy snow leopards born earlier this year. On top of that, three elephants in Werribee are now pregnant, and due to give birth next year. And as if that wasn’t enough, we have now learned that two darling African lion cubs have arrived at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Born of Valentine’s Day (aw!!), these two bundles of joy are the cubs of eight-year-old mum Asali and nine-year-old dad Sheru. The cubs are now bonding with mum in a private den, away from the public eye. The names and sex will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Two lion cubs at Werribee Open Range Zoo
These sweet fluffballs emerged after a three-and-a-half month pregnancy, bringing the multi-generational pride to eight lions. Asali had a prolonged labour, and went through a caesarean section. She did have an unusually large litter of six cubs, but tragically, four did not survive. In the wild, only some cubs from larger litters make it to adulthood.
The two cubs are now bonding closely with mum, and showing strong early development.
“Right now, they’ve just got giant milk bellies, tiny little ears, their little paws and their toe beans are incredibly cute,” said Werribee Open Range Zoo Life Sciences Coordinator Ben Gulli. “The whole team is so excited to see them become more curious every day, play fight with each other and curl up together when they nap.”
Their time together in the den reflects their natural behaviour in the wild, where lionesses seek secluded shelter in order to protect their cubs until they are strong enough to meet the pride.
“Providing Asali with a calm, secure environment allows her to raise her cubs as she would in nature, giving them the best possible start in life,” said Gulli. “Asali is being such a wonderful mum and is always grooming the cubs and keeping them tucked close by her side.”
When they are ready, the cubs will be introduced to the rest of the pride, which includes their father Sheru, their grandmother Nilo, and three half-siblings.
With as little as 23,000 African lions in the wild across sub-Saharan Africa, these majestic creatures are classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Their numbers have declined due to habitat loss and conflict with humans. This zoo in Werribee is a part of the Australasian breeding and conservation program in order to secure the future of the species.
Keep an eye on the Zoos Victoria social media or website for updates about when you can see the cubs.