Lion rescued from Syria zoo gives birth in Jordan reserve

A lion rescued from a zoo in the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo cuddles her newborn cub in the Al-Ma’wa Wildlife Reserve in northern Jordan.

SOUF, Jordan — The odds had been stacked against Hajar, a lion cub born just hours after her mother Dana, rescued from a defunct zoo in war-torn Syria, was released into a wildlife reserve in Jordan.

Dana and 12 other animals, including four other lions, two bears and two tigers, had barely survived under harsh conditions in the Syrian city of Aleppo, until a few months ago a major battleground in the country’s civil war.

They were transported from Syria to Turkey and then to Jordan by the international animal charity Four Paws, stuck in cages during the three-week journey.

Dr. Amir Khalil, a vet who accompanied the animals, said that he had been worried during the transport that Dana would give birth while in a cage. In such a case, it’s unlikely the cub would have survived, he said.

Instead, Hajar, Arabic for “the immigrant,” was born sometime in the night in the tranquility of the wooded reserve.

Khalil said he believes the lioness waited for a safe space to give birth.

“She is a mom, she had the instinct,” he said. “It’s a miracle.” Ahu Savan An, Four Paws / Four Paws / via AP Ahu Savan An, via AP

Experts say lion cub Hajar’s survival is thanks to mother Dana’s delaying birth until she reached the Al-Mawa reserve in Jordan.

The cub is white, a color that might change later, and weighs an estimated 3.3 to 4.4 pounds, said Khalil.

The cub was mostly sleeping next to the mother in a cage in the reserve.

The mother has been bonding with the cub, nursing and cleaning it.

The reserve now has 25 lions, tigers and bears rescued from war zones across the conflict-scarred region, including Iraq and the Gaza Strip.

The birth of the cub is a powerful symbol of hope, said Khalil. “After the dark, there is light,” he said with a wide smile.