Cubs appear healthy
The cubs, one male and one female, appear healthy and are being cared for by the animal staff.
“This is a tremendous loss for the Zoo – Badu was a young cat, wonderful to watch on exhibit, and a good mate to Hassan,” said Don Hutchinson, president/CEO of The Maryland Zoo. “But despite losing Badu, we should also remember that she left behind two new additions to our Zoo family. They are the first lion cubs born here in the history of this Zoo, and are being cared for around the clock by our amazing staff. I am proud of the team that has worked so hard this week under very challenging circumstances.”
The cubs will remain off exhibit while staff are caring for them.
“They are very young, and we are measuring their progress and evaluating the situation day by day,” stated Margie Rose-Innes, assistant general curator at the Zoo. “Ideally they will be able to be introduced to the other lions, but that will be some time in the future. For now, their continued health and well-being will be our focus.”
The cubs’ birth is the result of a recommendation from the Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP) coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSPs provide breeding recommendations to maximize genetic diversity, with the goal of ensuring the long-term survival of the captive population and the health of individual animals. Lions are listed as “vulnerable” in the wild as their population has declined significantly over the past 50 years with only an estimated 32,000 individuals remaining in the wild, down from over 100,000.
Hassan, father to the cubs, and Cuma, the Zoo’s two adult lions, will continue to be on exhibit while the cubs are being raised in the den.
