There are estimated to be only around 500 individuals of the Asiatic lion left in the wild. Therefore, we at Parken Zoo are especially happy to announce that on National Day itself, we had a double addition to the lion pride.
This is Mama Chanda's first litter, which she is looking after excellently. If anyone gets too close, she roars and protects her pups. For now, they are calm and mostly lie still, but as they get older they will start to move more and more, and their mother will have a significantly tougher time keeping an eye on her twins.
The father of the cubs is Aslan, who moved here at the end of 2014. When he arrived, he was barely two years old and not very big or bold; the females were quite good at putting him in his place. Now, however, he has grown in both size and status and has proved that he is male enough to look after his two females, Chanda and Ishara.
The cubs, who have yet to be named, consist of one female and one male and are part of a European breeding programme run by EAZA*. This means that zoos are working together to create as much genetic variation as possible between existing Asian lion populations. By exchanging Asian lions with each other, they are helping to ensure the survival of the species. Asian lions differ from the more common African lions in both appearance and habitat. Asian lions are smaller and the males do not have as large a mane as African lions. Furthermore, they live in dry deciduous forests, unlike African lions which live on savannas.
The status of Asian lions is also higher, they are only found in an isolated population in and around the Gir Forest in India.
The lion family can be seen in their enclosure at the Asia Pavilion. A warm welcome to Parken Zoo this summer.

Contact: Anna Åkerholm, Department of Education and Research
Tel. 016-100 135, anna.akerholm@parkenzoo.se

Lennart Sundén, zoo director and acting CEO
tel. 070-204 27 27
European Association of Zoos and Aquariums