Fota Wildlife Park is thrilled to announce the birth of three male endangered Asiatic lion cubs to mother Arya, who recently returned from Helsinki Zoo and who was part of the first lion cub litter to be born at the Park.
Six-year-old Arya was paired with the male lion Yali, and their cubs were born on the 5th of June. Eight-year-old Yali is the most genetically significant Asiatic lion in the European Breeding Programme.
The Asiatic lion is classified as endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and inhabits only one remaining site in the world, the Gir Forest in India, which means that wildlife parks and zoos play a crucial role in safeguarding the species. The current population in the Gir Forest is estimated to be in the region of 500 to 600 lions.
“We are overjoyed with the birth of Arya’s cubs,� said Lead ranger Julien Fonteneau, “Arya and Yali�s cubs are not just vital to our breeding programme but also to the global efforts in preserving the Asiatic lion population. In a first for Fota Wildlife Park, Yali was present at the birth of his three cubs, normally the male lions would not attend the birth of their young. One of our team members here quipped that Yali is a very modern father!.
Visitors can now be in with a chance to see Arya and her cubs at the Asian Sanctuary, when they visit Fota Wildlife Park. Fota Wildlife Park is calling on the public to help name the three male cubs, for an opportunity to win one of three annual Conservation passes, enter via the blog at http://www.fotawildlife.ie/news.
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