Four lion cubs die within a day of birth at Shivamogga Zoo

Sara, a three-year-old lioness, was brought to Shivamogga Zoo from Indore in September 2025 and was paired with the male lion Shiva. | Photo credit: File Photo

Shivamogga

Sara, a three-year-old lioness at the Shivamogga Zoo, gave birth to four cubs – two males and two females – a few days ago, but all four died within a day, causing a setback in lion breeding at the zoo.

Sara, brought to the zoo from Indore in September 2025, was paired with the male lion Shiva. Animal keepers noticed the pair three months ago. However, there were almost no signs of pregnancy and she re-mated with the male – which was unusual during pregnancy – leading staff to conclude she was not pregnant. Officials said they do not anticipate the birth of any cubs.

However, Sára gave birth at night in the kennel in the second week of September. The breeders noticed that the cubs were not nursing and they began to show signs of dehydration. Officials said her handling of the cubs was abnormal – attributed to it being her first pregnancy – which, combined with a lack of feeding, put the cubs at serious risk.

The next day, the crew planned to separate the cubs. By then, one cub was dead. They separated the other three from their mother and tried to save them using an incubator at the zoo’s hospital. However, the effort was unsuccessful and all three died within a day.

The absence of the first mother’s milk was a critical factor, as colostrum carries the antibodies necessary for newborn cubs. “We tried our best, but we can’t always intervene in time and we can’t always save the cubs. Pairing the animals and making them comfortable with each other is a huge task in itself — an effort that took three to four months of careful planning and execution,” said VM Amarakshara, executive director of Shivamogga Zoo.

Officials noted that captive breeding of big cats carries such risks, especially for first-time mothers, and compared them to other social animals, where inexperienced or stressed captive mothers sometimes fail to care for their young. An autopsy was performed on one of the cubs to determine the cause of death. Zoo management is taking steps to preserve the bodies of the three cubs for further studies.

Published – 27 Sep 2026 18:48 IST