Haryana: Lioness in Pipli zoo gives birth to three

KURUKSHETRA: An eight-year-old lioness, Sakshi, gave birth to three cubs at Pipli Zoo in Kurukshetra district on May 17, said a wildlife department official on Saturday.
One of the cubs, however, died within 48 hours of birth. Kurukshetra wildlife inspector Tejbir Singh said they did not make the information public earlier as they were observing the health of the lioness. “The deceased cub was separated by the mother herself. She is feeding the cubs, and they are being observed through CCTV cameras,” he added.
The inspector said the lioness had mated with a 10-year-old lion, Geet, and both of them had been brought from Junagadh, Gujarat, in 2015. Since then, the lioness has given birth to 13 cubs in four litters. While all five cubs in the first two litters died, three of the five in third litter survived and are now housed at Rohtak zoo, he said.
Sakshi is staying with the cubs through the day and nobody is allowed to go near their enclosure. “The lion has also been separated from them for the safety of the cubs and lioness,” added Tejbir.