Lion Country Safari welcomes two new African Lion cubs

Two lion cubs born at Lion Country Safari. [Photo by Lion Country Safari]

Two African lion cubs were born at Lion Country Safari on April 21 to first-time mother Mara, who is 5, and second-time father Vander.

The cubs remain behind the scenes as they bond with their mother and develop under the care of Lion Country Safari’s animal care team. The park plans to introduce the cubs to the public in the coming months when they join the pride in the lion habitat.

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Lion Country Safari has launched its first Cub Cam livestream on YouTube, allowing viewers around the world to watch the cubs nurse, play and grow before they join the public habitat.

The female cubs, who have not yet been named, received their first veterinary health exam May 6; both are progressing well. Lion Country Safari is taking name suggestions.

The cubs mother, Mara, and father, Vander. [Photo by Lion Country Safari]

With the cubs, Lion Country Safari now has 12 African lions: five males and seven females, the largest African lion pride among institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The park’s 6-acre lion habitat includes indoor care quarters with multiple dens to accommodate birthing, introductions and daily husbandry needs.

Lion gestation lasts approximately 110 days. Litters typically range from one to six cubs. Newborns weigh around 3 pounds and are entirely dependent on their mothers during the early stages of life.

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Lion populations have sharply declined the past 25 years because of habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and poaching. African lions are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

Lion Country Safari plays an active role in conservation efforts through its participation in the AZA’s Species Survival Plan. SSP programs aim to maintain healthy, genetically diverse populations of threatened and endangered species under human care and serve as a critical safeguard amid mounting pressures on wild populations.

For updates on the cubs and more about the naming contest, visit lioncountrysafari.com.