London Zoo Celeberates the Birth of Asiatic Lions

London Zoo, these days, are thronged by number of visitors to see the first Asiatic Lion Cubs born there in a decade. These cubs were blessed to parents Lucifer (6) and Abi (10) and were born on August 8, 2009. These cubs are categorized as the critically endangered species and are relatively fewer in number. There are 300 Asiatic lions in the Gir Forest of Gujurat and 90 left in captivity around the world.

The cubs are doing well and cozy with their mother, Abi, the last Asiatic Lion to be born in the Zoo. She's been tremendous in terms of how she's introduced them to the public but protected them. She's been a wonderful mother,' said Malcolm Fitzpatrick, curator of mammals at the Zoological Society of London. 'Fortunately, their numbers are growing in the forest thanks to the excellent work of the Indian wildlife authorities. But it's the breeding in zoos that provides that real safety net, that real insurance population for the future.'

Father Lucifer has yet not been allowed to meet the cubs though they have been introduced to each other through a mesh. 'He wants to be in there with his offspring, but we wanted to make sure the youngsters were vaccinated and had a chance to explore the enclosure before we introduced him,' said Fitzpatrick.

The two cubs are part of an intensely managed European breeding and conservation programme.