PREVIEW

CCTV footage has captured the moment a trio of newborn lion cubs were born at London Zoo. Born to 7-year-old mum, Arya, and 14-year-old dad Bhanu, the litter of three Endangered Asiatic lion cubs arrived on 13 March 2024 with zookeepers able to monitor mum’s six-hour labour via hidden cameras. Footage captured by the conservation Zoo’s ‘cubcam’ shows mum Arya giving birth, before tending to her tiny infants gently licking them clean, before laying down to let them suckle. As well as keeping a close eye on mum during labour, zookeepers have been able to observe the three-week-old cubs’ exciting milestones including watching them take their first wobbly steps - all without interrupting their precious bonding time with mum. The three cubs are a huge boost to the conservation breeding programme for Asiatic lions, which are now found only in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India. Recent population estimates suggest that only 600 to 700 individuals remain in the will and due to their reliance on just one habitat, they are particularly vulnerable to a disease outbreak or natural disaster. The three infants have so far spent all their time inside in their custom-built cubbing den with mum and opened their eyes after just 10 days. The three cubs are yet to be named, with keepers unable to confirm the cubs’ sexes until their first vet check and vaccinations which will take place when they are around 10 to 11 weeks old.