At just 14 days old, the journey of three white lion cubs begins as they cautiously open their eyes to the world around them. With their tiny paws and fluffy coats, they wobble and stumble, exploring their den under the watchful eye of their mother. Their soft mewls echo through the enclosure as they eagerly call out to her, instinctively seeking nourishment and comfort. As they nuzzle close to her warm, protective embrace, they are met with her gentle reassurance, a bond already forming between mother and cubs. It’s a tender moment of new life and maternal love, marking the start of their remarkable journey together in the wilds of their habitat (video)
Newborn white lion cubs, which were born between Jan. 28 and 29, lie in a private zoo in Borysew near Lodz, Poland on Feb. 1.KACPER PEMPEL / Today
The owner of a private zoo in central Poland said Tuesday he feels three times lucky with the birth of white lion triplets who are getting loving care from their mother.
Andrzej Pabich, head of the zoo in Borysew, said white lions often have defects that prevent giving birth, or mothers may reject the cubs. Triplets are rare.
The white lion is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of African lion found in some wildlife reserves in South Africa and in zoos around the world. Pabich says about 90 of them are now in existence.
He told The Associated Press that his 2 ½ -year-old white lioness Azira has been patiently feeding and caring for the cubs, which were born Jan. 28. Their father, 3 ½-year old Sahim, who is also white, is kept in a neighboring cage and roars at anyone who comes too close to his family.
“Luckily the birth went all smoothly,” Pabich said. “We had doubts whether it would be all OK: won’t (she) reject them, will she have milk? But all went luckily well in the end. The mother accepted (the cubs), is feeding them and is very caring.”
The zoo will name the cubs after they grow a little more and can be weighed and identified as either male or female, Pabich said. They will be allowed on an outdoor run in April.
Opened in 2008, the zoo has animals of 80 species, including white tigers and white camels, and drew 160,000 visitors last year.
Pabich is a machinery mechanic who loves animals and his son, Dariusz, and a team of veterinarians work at the zoo.
