KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation on Monday announced the birth of three more lion cubs at the Karachi Zoological Gardens.

A KMC statement said that they were healthy and being nursed by their mother.

An official said that the cubs were separated from the male lion soon after the birth to ensure the newborns’ safety. “The cubs are being properly taken care of by a team of experts. They will be moved to a regular cage after reaching the age of eight weeks.”

The visitors would not be able to see the cubs for around two months since lion cubs are very vulnerable in their first few weeks, as they are born blind and entirely dependent on their mother for care.

Mayor Murtaza Wahab welcomed the birth of the cubs and said that he was determined to equip the zoo with state-of-the-art facilities and bringing more animals to the facility.

Earlier in August, two lion cubs were born at the zoo and the officials had said that it was the first birth among the big cats in more than 12 years at the facility. The birth occurred in the pair of lions that was ‘gifted,’ along with a pair of pumas and lions, to the KMC in March by a private zoo.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024