2 February 2017
No fewer than 4 new lion cubs are romping around inside the lion enclosure with their mother Ishara at Parken Zoo in Eskilstuna. The cubs, two females and two males, were born on 27 November 2016 and are soon big enough to keep up with the older cubs Sunga and Narmada. The cubs are an important addition to the conservation breeding program for this endangered species.
At Eskilstuna's Parken Zoo, you can find Sweden's only Asiatic lion family of the Asiatic subspecies, the Asiatic lion. Last summer, Parken Zoo's youngest breeding female, Chanda, gave birth to two cubs., We are now delighted to announce that Chanda's mother, Ishara, has also had no fewer than four cubs.. The cubs were born on 27th November 2016, and after sexing, we were able to confirm that there are two males and two females in the litter. This means our small pride now consists of 9 individuals. It will be lively in the lion enclosure in the 2017 season, to say the least, says Julia Johnsson, a predator keeper who has been involved since the lion cubs were born. "It's always fun with baby animals, and right now it feels extra good as there are so many cubs and they seem to be doing well. We've just started letting them out of their den for a while during the day, and they seem to be enjoying themselves," Julia continues.
For Easter, all lion enthusiasts will have the opportunity to come and see the large family, as the park will have a soft opening for the season. The grand season premiere will be on Sunday, May 7th!
Lions are the only big cats that live in prides and where adult males and females look different. Asian lions are somewhat smaller than African lions, and the males' manes grow further down along their elbows. There are only about 500 Asian lions left in the wild, which thankfully is an increase from the 2005 census when there were an estimated 350 individuals. The low number of individuals and the threats to their habitat and species, combined with the fact that they today only exist in one area, mean they are considered critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Plans are in place to move individuals to other areas where they previously existed to increase their chances of continued recovery and reduce vulnerability.
The four cubs have been named Cambay (after an old principality in the Indian state of Gujarat), Sasan (after an area in the Gir wildlife sanctuary), Sher (meaning lion in Hindi) and Sinha (meaning lion in Gujarati). The names all have an Indian connection as it is the only country where these lions are found today. As the lions stay with their pride for almost 2 years, we will be able to enjoy them for a long time to come. However, the cubs are already being registered in a studbook to ensure the best possible home is found within the species' conservation breeding programme. Among others, Chanda's siblings Gir and Khana, born in 2011, have previously moved from Parken Zoo to Cotswold and Jerusalem respectively.
Contact:
Julia Johnsson 073-8671944, animal carer, predators department
Linn Lagerström 0702-48 41 87 zoologist