Bhubaneswar: In a heart-warming development especially for animal lovers, lioness Bijli has given birth to five adorable cubs at the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. This marks the fourth time the 9-year-old Asiatic lioness has become a mother.
Zoo officials informed, that the cubs were sired by lion Samrat, who was brought from Kanan Pendari Zoological Garden in Bilaspur. The mother and cubs are under close surveillance, and since Bijli is taking care of them, they have not been separated. Their sex has not been determined, officials added.
This new addition took the total number of lions in the zoo to 26. Notably, Bijli’s previous litters were born in 2021, and 2022 (twice), and her first litter was born during the COVID-19 lockdown. Unfortunately, only one cub, Barsha, survived and was hand-reared by zoo staff. Two cubs from her last litter were recently transferred to Alipore Zoo on August 28.
The zoo is celebrating this joyful occasion, and animal lovers are thrilled to welcome the new guests to the Nandankanan family.
