New Litter of Lion Cubs
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has news to roar about! Two litters of African lion cubs were born at the Zoo within a three-day time span. First-time, eight-year-old mothers Tia and Bridget gave birth on Sunday, November 4 and Tuesday, November 6, respectively. The Zoo’s resident king of the jungle, Aslan, is the proud papa to both sets of cubs, and this marks the first lion births at the Zoo since 1999 when Tia and Bridget were born.
Both moms experienced difficulty during the birthing process and were not able to have natural births. Animal keeper staff observed signs of labor in both, but when normal birthing time elapsed without actual births, veterinary staff were consulted. A team comprised of animal care takers, veterinary staff, and curators, along with three surgeons from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, participated in both surgeries.
“A team of ten to 12 people were required to ensure the level of care for the most positive outcome during both procedures.” said Zoo Associate Veterinarian Jennifer D’Agostino. “We are especially grateful to the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine for providing their expertise for both procedures.” Tia successfully bore two females, and Bridget had a male and a female. The mothers and their offspring are doing well. Weighing approximately three pounds at birth, the cubs are being hand-raised by keeper staff. These “surrogate moms” will bottle-feed and mimic behaviors that their animal moms would have exhibited. This human contact is beneficial to the cubs for future training programs at the Zoo by acclimating the lions to people and will help their comfort level in the presence of Zoo guests when they eventually go on exhibit. In order to help protect the health of the cubs while they are physically fragile, the Zoo will not exhibit the youngsters until next spring. Animal staff will only be in close contact with the cubs until they reach an age where animal instincts and their size can become a factor in the safety of the keepers.
Lion enthusiasts can get their only views of the cubs while they grow on the KFOR Cub Cam. To get your lion’s share of cub viewing, log on to okczoo.com or kfor.com to view the KFOR Cub Cam for streamlining live video.
The cubs will spend the first three to five months of their lives in their den at Lion Overlook. The current KFOR Cub Cam hours are 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily. Best viewing times are 8, 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. when keepers will be feeding and spending time with the new additions. Feeding and Cub Cam times will change periodically as the cubs grow.
Although African lions are not considered endangered in terms of their official conservation status, their numbers are estimated at 12- to 18,000 in Africa. Disease and habitat loss are contributing to their alarming decline. The Zoo’s births are a result of a national effort to ensure a healthy and genetically viable population of these magnificent cats. Aslan is a genetically important lion, and these births will contribute to the success of the species.
An official date to begin introducing the cubs into the pride has not been set. Meanwhile, Aslan will remain on exhibit daily, with Tia and Bridget returning after they have healed from their surgeries.
Recognized as one of the top three family friendly zoos in the nation and the state’s #1 attraction, the Oklahoma City Zoo is open daily from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with exhibit buildings closing at dusk. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for children ages three to 11 and seniors age 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. For more information, call the Zoo at (405) 424-3344 or go online at www.okczoo.com.
