Miracle lion cubs off to roam in smart new home
THREE orphaned lion cubs which were rescued from the brink of starvation earlier this year were given a new lease on life after they were relocated from their enclosure at the Addo National Elephant Park yesterday to a place where they can freely roam over 200ha of land.
The two females and one male, all siblings and weighing between 70kg and 80kg, were taken to the Kuzuko contractual area in a mammoth operation that took nearly an entire day.
In their new home Laura, Shereen and Robin – who at full growth could weigh in excess of 200kg – will also learn to hunt for themselves.
The cubs went missing in December, soon after their mother, Gina, died from a suspected snake bite.
They were found weeks later, looking thin and malnourished, believed to have been feeding off scraps left over after the main pride had eaten.
The cubs, now about nine months old, were found after they were spotted by a group of tourists on a game drive.
They quickly alerted park authorities, thus ending a desperate two-week search for the missing cats.
SANParks conservation manager John Adendorff said the cubs looked terrible when they first arrived at the park.
“They probably have an- other year or two before we set them free. They have to start exercising and also learn to hunt.”
SANParks veterinarian Dr David Zimmerman said rangers would continue to monitor progress in the cubs’ development.
“They lost their mother and they are not in a pride structure, which means they have to learn how to hunt on their own, and in a natural situation,” he said.
General manager at the Kuzuko contractual area, Gerhard de Lange, said Kuzuko was very grateful for the partnership they had formed with SANParks.
“These cubs are very topical, everybody knows about them because of the media, so everybody is going to want to know what happens to them. We will update you on their progress on a monthly basis,” he said.