Two “beautiful” lion cubs have been born at Edinburgh Zoo, marking the first new arrivals of the endangered species in seven years.
Keepers announced on Thursday that Asiatic lion parents Jayendra “Jay”, 15, and Bindee, 10, had welcomed the unnamed newborns on October 11.
Bindee and the cubs are now being kept away from visitors while the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) monitors their development.
Keepers, who witnessed the births through live cameras in the enclosure, noticed Bindee was pregnant as her stomach increased in size and she was moving slower than usual.
She then displayed a number of other behaviours that indicate a lion’s pregnancy, including pacing and changing her den.
The cubs and Bindee are expected to be out of public view until further notice.
According to RZSS, there are only around 350 Asiatic lions left in the wild, and they are only found in the Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat, India.
The last time such cubs were born at the zoo was in 2019, when female Mitaali and males Keshari and Kushanu were birthed on site.
RZSS animal team leader Alison MacLean said: “We are so proud of Bindee and Jay and absolutely thrilled with the beautiful new arrivals. Mum is happily bonding with the little cubs while Jay is his usual chilled-out self.
“We suspected Bindee was pregnant for a little while, especially after she has been getting on so well with Jay this summer.
“There was a mix of nerves and excitement as we waited to see if our suspicions were right.
“To finally have the cubs arrive and see everything going so well is brilliant.”
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