- Title: INDIA-CUBS BIRTH Eleven cubs born in a lion sanctuary in western India
- Date: 18th July 2015
- Summary: GIR, INDIA (JULY 17, 2015) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI- NO ACCESS BBC) CLOSE OF A BOARD READING 'SINH SADAN' (LION HOUSE) EXTERIOR OF ENTRANCE TO GIR SANCTUARY AND NATIONAL PARK VARIOUS OF RAIN AT THE SANCTUARY A LION SITTING A LIONESS STANDING VARIOUS OF CUBS SITTING VARIOUS OF LIONESS FEEDING CUBS CUBS WALKING AROUND CUBS WALKING AS LIONESS LOOKS ON CUBS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DIVISIONAL CONSERVATOR OF FOREST (DCF), AT GIR SANCTUARY, SANDEEP KUMAR, SAYING: "In a pride of two brothers four lionesses have given birth to cubs while another two are pregnant and are expected to deliver very soon and another one is mating. So, in total, this pride includes seven lionesses and two lions and within this pride itself 11 cubs have been born." VARIOUS OF LIONESSES AND CUBS IN A GROUP
- Embargoed: 5th August 2015 02:29
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7ME392G0ER7D2K3BDSEUFFTI3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
Eleven lion cubs were born on Friday (July 17) in a lion sanctuary in western India.
Four lionesses gave birth to the cubs at Gir Sanctuary who, officials said, are healthy and doing well.
Sandeep Kumar, Divisional Conservator of Forest (DCF), said that two more lionesses are also expected to deliver soon.
"In a pride of two brothers four lionesses have given birth to cubs while another two are pregnant and are expected to deliver very soon and another one is mating. So, in total, this pride includes seven lionesses and two lions and within this pride itself 11 cubs have been born," Kumar said.
According to 2015 Asiatic Lion Census, Gir sanctuary, the only remaining sanctuary of Asiatic lions, is home to 523 such lions.
These include 109 adult lions and 201 adult lionesses.
Asiatic lions - different from African lions due to their characteristic skin fold on their bellies and thinner manes on the males - once roamed most of the continent.
India has been struggling to save its endangered tigers, as people invade their habitat and poachers kill them for body parts that fetch huge sums in the international black market.
Police say poachers kill the lions to extract bones and sell them at high prices in Chinese markets. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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