Explorer

Assam State Zoo Welcomes 2 Lion Cubs In New Year

The cubs have not yet been named or had their sex determined. They will stay behind the scenes with their mother for several weeks as they grow.

Guwahati: Lioness Rani gave birth to two cubs on Tuesday at the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden in Guwahati, and they appear to be healthy. They have begun being nursed and will soon begin to be more mobile and open their eyes.

The cubs have not yet been named or had their sex determined. They will stay behind the scenes with their mother for several weeks as they grow.

Rani is seven-years-old and previously had a cub. The cubs’ father is Leo. Both Rani and Leo were brought to the Guwahati zoo from Gujarat zoo.

The Assam state zoo at present has a total of seven lions. While four of them were brought from zoos' outside the state, three were born in Guwahati zoo.

The zoo authorities are keeping an eye on ensuring that the mother and the cubs do not face any problems.

“Lioness Rani gave birth to two healthy cubs on Tuesday morning and both are doing well. The mother and the cubs are being kept in isolation and will be kept there for some time before being moved to an open enclosure. The zoo keepers are taking good care of them and all the zoo staff are very excited about the arrival of the new members,” zoo Divisional Forest Officer Ashwani Kumar told ABP Live.

“Glad to have received the news of lioness Rani in Assam State Zoo giving birth to two cubs today. I congratulate all the officials of Assam State Zoo. Directed officials to take all necessary steps for ensuring well-being of new born cubs,”Assam Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary tweeted.

The Assam State Zoo had recently celebrated the birth of a new member, a Black Panther cub, to parents Meena and Mohan. 

It is now the only zoo in the country to have a family of five black panthers, and a total of six black panthers in captivity, including the cub.

The zoo authorities have made special arrangements to deal with the extreme cold weather condition to keep the animals warm. Several heaters have been installed in the enclosure of the animals to protect them from the spine chilling cold.

The cages where these heaters have been installed primarily belong to the felines like tigers, lions besides other small and big animals. On the other hand, stubbles have been used in the enclosures where the Himalayan bears stay.

High-powered electric bulbs have been put in place and lighted in the enclosure of the birds to keep them warm. Moreover, their entire sheds have been covered with plastic sheets to protect the cold breeze from entering.

The Assam State Zoo is home to over 1200 animals. Thousands of visitors, both domestic and foreigners, come to the zoo to have a glimpse of some of the endangered and exotic animals who are housed at the biggest zoo of the region.

The author is a senior journnalist covering the Northeast. 

View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

President Appoints Governors In 5 States, Ajay Bhalla Named Manipur Guv, Arif Mohammed Khan Shifted To Bihar
President Appoints Governors In 5 States, Ajay Bhalla Named Manipur Guv, Arif Shifted To Bihar
Delhi: Congress Releases Second List Of 26 Candidates, Names Ex-AAP MLAs Asim Khan, Devinder Sehrawat
Delhi Elections: Congress Releases Second List Of 26 Candidates, Fields 2 AAP Turncoats
5 Jawans Killed After Army Vehicle Falls Into Gorge In J&K's Poonch, Several Others Injured
5 Jawans Killed After Army Vehicle Falls Into Gorge In J&K's Poonch, Several Others Injured
Goa Braces For Beef Shortage Amid Festive Season As Traders Begin Strike Over ‘Harassment’ By Cow Vigilantes
Goa Braces For Beef Shortage Amid Festive Season As Traders Begin Strike Against Cow Vigilantes
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

Manu Bhaker expresses disappointment after not being included in Khel Ratna Award listKumar Vishwas targets Shatrughan Sinha family, sparks controversy with remarks on RamayanaDelhi Govt. issues guidelines regarding illegal Bangladeshi student admissions in schoolsSambhal News: Shahi Jama Masjid survey report won't be presented today, technical revisions ongoing

Photo Gallery

Embed widget