CRIMEA-WHITE LION CUBS Four white lions with blue eyes born at Crimean zoo

Record ID: 145358

  • Title: CRIMEA-WHITE LION CUBS Four white lions with blue eyes born at Crimean zoo
  • Date: 31st July 2015
  • Summary: BELOGORSK, CRIMEA (JULY 29, 2015) (REUTERS) LION CUBS INSIDE BASKET LION CUB GETTING OUT OF BASKET FACE OF CUB VARIOUS OF LION CUB LYING NEAR BASKET, LION CUBS IN BASKET LION CUBS IN BASKET (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SAFARI PARK MANAGER, OLEG ZUBKOV, SAYING: "Four white lion cubs were born at the Taigan Lion Park . They have snow-white fur and tender blue eyes, and of course pi
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAA4Y6PDERR7N2CECV5RD4MC01X
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Four rare white lion cubs were shown to the public for the first time on Wednesday (July 29) at a safari park in the Russia-annexed Crimean peninsula.
    The safari park manager, Oleg Zubkov, carefully took all of them out of a basket, standing on the park's lawn, and held them up to proudly show them to reporters and visitors.
    "Four white lion cubs were born at the Taigan Lion Park . They have snow-white fur and tender blue eyes, and of course pink heels," he said, adding that these cubs belonged to a rare endangered species.
    "The cubs are several days old now, they feel perfectly fine, they eat and gain weight very fast. The international Red List says that there are just several dozens, a little more than a hundred of them in the whole world," he said.
    Visitors shared Zubkov's admiration.
    "It was very interesting to watch them in real life. I have never seen so small lion cubs. They are so cute," said a Crimean resident, Ivan, smiling.
    According to Crimean media, Zubkov considers selling some of the lion cubs to other parks across Russia.
    The Taigan safari park, named after the valley it is located in, claims to be the biggest in Europe, occupying 36 hectares (89 acres) of the Crimean steppe.
    According to the park's website the place hosts 83 different animal species.
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