Bhubaneswar: Rewa, a lioness at Nandankanan Zoological Park on the city outskirts, gave birth to three cubs on Saturday, though the firstborn was stillborn.
According to an official press release, the first cub was delivered at 9:33 AM in the feeding chamber but was sadly found to be lifeless.
Later in the day, veterinary staff administered Oxytocin to Rewa, which facilitated the birth of two more cubs at 3:58 PM and 5:56 PM, respectively.
However, Rewa rejected the two surviving cubs, prompting officials to transfer them to the neonatal ICU at the zoo’s Hand Rearing Centre. Both cubs—a male and a female—are now under specialized care and observation.
Rewa, aged 7, was brought to Nandankanan from Kamala Nehru Prani Sangrahalaya in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on December 20, 2020.
Since her arrival, she has successfully given birth to two litters sired by Jeet, resulting in five cubs, four of whom—Simba, Keshari, Shivam, and Maya—are thriving and being hand-reared at the zoo.
With the latest additions, the lion population at Nandankanan Zoological Park has risen to 24.
The zoo’s management is taking every measure to ensure the health and survival of the two new cubs while continuing its efforts in lion conservation and breeding programs.
