Quadruplets: Delhi Zoo welcomes Asiatic lion cubs after 16 years
Currently, the mother and four cubs are being monitored around the clock through CCTV cameras at the Delhi Zoo.
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Mahagauri (F), Maheshwar (M) and Shailja (F) were brought to Delhi Zoo in 2021 in an animal exchange program. (Express Photo)For the first time in 16 years, a five-year-old Asiatic lioness, Mahagauri, delivered four cubs at the Delhi Zoo early morning on Sunday.
Mahagauri was brought to Delhi Zoo in 2021 through an animal exchange program from Gujarat’s Sakkarbaug Zoo along with two other lions, Shailja and Maheshwar.
Zoo officials confirmed that the cubs have been fathered by Maheshwar.
Currently, Mahagauri and her cubs are being monitored around the clock through CCTV cameras. Officials stated that the next 24 to 48 hours are “extremely critical”, especially since this is Mahagauri’s first litter. Intervention by veterinarians and zookeepers will only occur if absolutely necessary, to avoid distressing the new mother and her cubs, a zoo official said.
“So far, Mahagauri is exhibiting strong maternal instincts and is taking good care of her cubs.
“We cannot ascertain the health of the cubs now… some cubs could still be weak post birth, and careful observation is crucial,” the zoo official said.
Senior zoo officials emphasised that no external interference will be made unless a medical emergency arises. “After 48 hours, if necessary, we may intervene. But for now, the focus is solely on observation,” an official stated.
“If the cubs are free of disease, this birth will be hailed as a successful addition… as part of Delhi Zoo’s conservation efforts to strengthen the population of endangered Asiatic lions,” another official said.
The birth of Mahagauri’s cubs comes just months after a tragic setback at the zoo. Earlier this year, a nine-month-old female white tiger cub succumbed to “traumatic shock” and “acute pneumonia”.
The last time a lioness gave birth at the Delhi Zoo was in 2009.
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