Lion cubs given first health check at London Zoo
The cubs were microchipped and vaccinated during the check up.
Three Asiatic lion cubs at London Zoo have undergone their first health check from the zoo’s veterinary team.
With the support of the keepers, the 10-weeks-old cubs were given a thorough check up in the comfort of their den. Their mother, Arya, had been let into one of her other dens to give the team space to work.
The team checked the health of the cubs and measured their vital statistics – using an empty tub when weighing them to avoid the problem of trying to get them to sit still on the scales.
The cubs were also vaccinated, microchipped and their sexes were confirmed. It was found that Arya had given birth to two boys and one girl.
Their sexes and vital statistics will be uploaded to a global species database, shared with other zoos, as part of the international breeding programme to preserve the endangered species.
There are only around 600 to 700 Asiatic lions left in the wild, with the entire wild population living in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India. In previous centuries, the species was found over a far greater area, from India in the east to Turkey in the west.
Head veterinary surgeon Amanda Guthrie said: “Their first health checks and vaccinations are really important.
“Not only do they allow us to assess their progress and boost their young immune system, but every opportunity to examine an animal as rare as these boosts our veterinary knowledge and expertise, which we can directly apply to animals we are protecting in the wild.”
Kathryn Sanders, a zookeeper at London Zoo, added: “Should natural disaster or disease lead to further decline of this endangered species, the international breeding programme ensures there is a healthy, genetically diverse population, which could help establish the lions in the wild.
“The addition of these three cubs at London Zoo is a fantastic conservation achievement.”
Image © ZSL/Luke Capeling
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