Perfect honeymoon for Asiatic lions | Rajkot News

Rajkot: The purring of lion cubs in Gujarat’s biggest forest department-run zoo, Sakkarbaug, in Junagadh, is growing louder by the day!
Thanks to successful breeding, adopting scientific methods to encourage mating and mood-boosting nutrition, as many as 40 cubs have been born in the zoo in the last 18 months. This is a record of sorts as the average number of lion cubs born in captive breeding every year range between five to seven.
Official data shows that 26 cubs were born in 2020 and 14 till July this year. Of these, six cubs were born last week.
Abhishek Kumar, Sakkarbaug zoo director, who has specialized in veterinary science and wildlife nutrition, started an experiment of encouraging breeding using scientific approach. Traditionally, the breeding method in the zoo for years had been making pairs of lions and lionesses for breeding, but this yielded limited results.
“If both are kept together, the female has to forcibly accept the male’s dominance. But this doesn’t result in successful breeding. If a lioness remains furious and stressed, she doesn’t allow the lion to mate, which can result in the latter injuring her. Studying their behaviour and psychology, we used to change the partner which we found stressed out,” explained Abhishek Kumar, zoo director.
For successful mating, one lion is brought from the wild, and for the past two years, zoo authorities keenly started observing if they were comfortable in each other’s company. The indications of the camaraderie includes playing with each other, smelling etc and the absence of such behaviour indicates something abnormal which is not conducive for mating.
Once the zoo officials felt that they had made a good pair, a conducive atmosphere, which they describe as ‘honeymoon,’ was created for free fifteen days or till the time they successfully mated.
Earlier, the pair was separated after one or two matings, but now special care is taken of the king and queen.
Another important change that was brought about was the food provided to the lions during the ‘honeymoon’ period. “Lions are given liver portions of buffalo meat or bone parts which they relish and elevates their mood. Earlier the caretaker assigned the job to serve food was randomly giving the meat,” said Kumar.
Regular checks of deficiency like calcium phosphate, zinc, magnesium are also conducted so that foods rich in these nutrients are given.
Moreover, special care is taken of lionesses after they conceive too. Along with nutritional food, a special bed is prepared for the lioness 10 days before she gives birth and care is taken that she is not disturbed or stressed.
The bed is made of sand and gravel which absorbs liquids as the accumulation can result in fungal infection in the cubs. A lioness gives birth in 95-105 days after conceiving.

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