Longleat Lion Cubs Update

DECEMBER 12th 2011

In all the excitement last week I forgot to mention which cub was the first to actually brave the outside world for the first time. It may not surprise you that it was Simba, closely followed by Nala, who made the first move.

Mum Malaika, who has been inside with the cubs for the last 12 weeks, fairly bounded out as soon as the doors were open. Simba was close behind and was a little bemused when mum disappeared around the corner of their enclosure.

It wasn’t long before they all caught up with her though and it was really funny to watch their reaction to feeling grass under their paws for the first time.

There was plenty of play fighting and jumping on each other going on and because the ground was quite damp it didn’t take long before they were all plastered with mud - another new experience!

Thankfully Malaika is an expert groomer and all four cubs were soon spotless again.

On that first outing I reckon they must have been playing happily for nearly an hour and it was only when Malaika decided that she’d had enough that they followed her back inside.

We’re now letting them out pretty much every day and have also started mixing them with the two slightly youngers cubs that were born to another female called Luna. They were born about two weeks after Simba and Nala and it’s quite amusing to see how the ‘older’ cubs want to boss the youngsters around all the time.

Both the adult females appear quite happy to look after their cubs together, which is a very good sign, and the cubs themselves seem to see any lioness and identify them as ‘mum’.

This is the last blog I’ll be writing about the cubs this year and I hope you have enjoyed reading it and finding out about Simba and Nala’s progress.

Everyone here at Longleat Safari & Adventure Park, including Simba, Nala, Malaika and the rest of the pride would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and hopefully look forward to meeting you in 2012.

DECEMBER 5th 2011

Well the big moment has finally arrived and Simba, Nala and their two sisters ventured into the outside world for the very first time this week!

Earlier we gave all four of them their final injections, which proved a little trickier than the first time as they had definitely got wise to what was going on.

Even so the vet was still able to give each of them their jab and microchip tag them in under two minutes with the minimum amount of fuss.

For the past few days mum Malaika has been making it clear that she’s ready to lead the cubs outside and so today we took the decision to open their pen and allow them out to explore the paddock which adjoins the main enclosure.

Understandably the cubs were all a little bit wary at first but it didn’t take them long to pluck up their courage and start exploring.

This time last year Longleat was covered in a blanket of snow, however at the moment the weather is being kind to us and they were even able to enjoy a spot of sunshine.

For their first outing things have gone extremely well and the plan now is to let them out for a longer period each day and start to introduce them to the female members of their pride.

They’re all familiar with the sight and smell of each other as they have been sleeping next door to the cubs for the past month or so but this will give them an opportunity to actually interact with them – this will further strengthen the pride’s bond and ensure the youngsters are fully assimilated.

We’ll wait for a little bit longer to introduce them to dad as adult male lions are sometimes a little bit feisty. Although all four of the cubs certainly aren’t lacking in confidence and are more than capable of looking after themselves these days.

It’s always an amazing sight to watch the cubs venture out to explore the big wide world and to continue that amazing circle of life.

NOVEMBER 21st 2011

The cubs are 11 weeks old now and are about the same size as a medium-sized dog (like a spaniel). They are all growing really well and are increasingly ‘lively’ to say the least! Compared to when they were born they’re getting really big; it’s only when you see them next to full grown adults that you realize they’ve still got a very long way to go (or should that be ‘grow?).

Male lions, like Simba, usually reach their full size by the age of two, while females like Nala and her two sisters will be about three years old before they’re fully grown. Adult lions can weigh up to 200 kgs and grow to lengths in excess of three metres. Meat is definitely playing a major part in their lives at the moment and we’re upping meal sizes to ensure everyone, including mum, gets their fair share.

We’ve also introduced a new toy in the shape of a large trawler float which is providing lots of fun for the cubs – and gives Malaika some much-needed rest from the endless play-fighting. It’s a bit like the little fluffy balls with bells in that you give to kittens, although this is about the size of a medicine ball and made from solid plastic that the cubs can’t bite through. Even so it’s getting quite a pounding and it’s a very clear indication that all the cubs are getting stronger and stronger with every passing week. Although they all still look extremely cute, their teeth and claws are definitely not to be under-estimated!

If all goes according to plan we’ll be looking to give them their final injections next week and after that we’ll need to decide when to start letting them outside for the first time. Initially we’ll let them out into the paddock area, which measures close to an acre, for short periods of time just to get used to the outside world. We’ll then start introducing them to the other adult females until they feel at home.

After that we’ll get them integrated into the rest of the pride and then start planning for them to go out into the big enclosure which is close to four acres in size.

OCTOBER 31st 2011

Well we’ve decided that this week is going to be time for the cubs’ first injections. It can happen any time after they’re six weeks old and it’s the first real milestone towards them being able to go outside.

We’re all quite experienced with the process now but it still takes a lot of planning and co-ordination between us the keepers and the vet who will actually be giving them their jabs.

Firstly we will put mum Malaika in a separate enclosure from the cubs where she can still see and smell them but can’t get at us! We will then ensure the vet has all the injections ready and that everyone is totally clear about what they have to do before quietly going in with the cubs.

Although they are still only seven weeks old, they are already very strong and both teeth and claws are now very much in evidence. If any of you have ever tried picking up a grumpy kitten and seen how feisty they can be then imagine that multiplied a hundred times and you’ll have some idea of what it’s like to get up close and personal with a lion cub. Unfortunately we, as keepers, get the short straw of actually catching and holding each of the cubs as they get their injection. In the past people have tried wearing thick gloves to do this but we have found that it’s actually easier to use your bare hands.

The trick is to work fast – the injection goes in the scruff of the neck or into the cub’s rump, they’re given some worming medicine and then put into another holding pen next to their mum. By separating each cub off after it’s been inoculated it makes it much easier to work quickly although by the time we’ve got to the second cub the remaining two usually getting wise to what’s going on and will do their best not to get caught.

As soon as we’ve done all four cubs we get out of their enclosure as quickly as possible and get mum back in with them – and peace and quiet is restored….hopefully!

OCTOBER 24th 2011

The cubs are now six weeks old and Simba, Nala and the other two females are definitely in the middle of a growth spurt! Every morning when we come in it looks as though they’ve grown overnight and they are also becoming a lot more boisterous and a whole lot more co-ordinated. There’s plenty of play fighting going on amongst the youngsters and mum Malaika is also coming in for quite a lot of rough treatment from the cubs! As a first time mum she is doing a fantastic job of bringing them up but even she can have enough sometimes and she will occasionally give them a warning growl if she feels they’re going too far. A real sign of how quickly they’re growing is the fact that all four of them are now actively going out in search of meat rather than just waiting for mum to bring it to them. This has led to a few disagreements around the ‘dinner table’ as Malaika enjoys her food and does not take kindly to having it taken away by the cubs. As a result of this we have decided to provide them with two separate portions of meat which should help to keep the peace at mealtimes. If all goes well we should be looking at them having their first inoculations in a couple of weeks. These will be followed by a second set of jabs a few weeks later which will then mean they get the all clear to go out into the park. These injections are similar to those that you give to puppies and kittens before they’re allowed outside and will help protect them from catching any nasty bugs. As they continue to grow it’s becoming much easier to tell the females apart and they are each starting to develop their own personalities. They are also beginning to pay much more attention to the rest of the pride when they come in at night and this will help them integrate more easily when the time comes.

OCTOBER 17th 2011

Well, the main news this week is that the four cubs and their mum Malaika have been moved into an area right next to the rest of the pride; including dad Nibalo. It’s the first time the cubs have been so close to a full-grown adult male lion and I think it came as a bit of a surprise to them! Putting the two groups together will enable the cubs and the adults to get completely used to the sight and smell of each other prior to them actually going into the park and mixing freely for the first time. There’s no doubt that the youngsters are becoming a lot more active and more adventurous as they continue growing. Their enclosure has a little divider in the middle of it with a step up on one side and they have taken to clambering over the top of it. They’re still quite clumsy and it’s funny to watch them as they try to climb up the mesh sides. Simba is now noticeably bigger than the other cubs; particularly around the head. The fur around his neck, where his mane will eventually grow, is quite dark and I think that he’s got all the makings of growing into a stunning adult. Male lions grow thick manes as a way of protecting their neck and throat area from the claws of other lions during fights. The incredibly dense fur acts a bit like body armour and prevents the claws from cutting into their skin. At this stage the cubs’ claws are still very fine but they’re growing fast and they are already practicing using them on each other in play fights. They’re also getting a lot more confident and feisty with us keepers and will often spit and growl at us when we go into their enclosure to clean them out.

OCTOBER 10th 2011

Well it’s now almost exactly a month since the four lion cubs were born and, despite being a first-time mum Malaika (it means ‘angel’ in Swahili) is proving to be a brilliant mother. Lion cubs are born blind and are totally reliant on their mothers for the first few weeks of their lives; spending their time eating, sleeping and snuggling up to each other. Like most lion mums Malaika has been extremely protective of her cubs and, although we’ve kept a close eye on her to make sure everything’s progressing as it should be, we’ve let her get on with things herself. Earlier this week we were able to get close enough to find out the sex of the cubs and we have discovered that we actually have three females, including Nala, and, of course, Simba the male. At this stage the cubs are covered in darker-coloured spots which would have helped camouflage them in the wild among trees and bushes while mum went off to hunt. As they grow these spots will gradually fade but even when they are fully grown adults they will still be just about visible through their thick coats. Already we can see that both Simba and Nala have a very distinctive dark marking running down their backs that look a bit like a set of tyre tracks! These markings are also likely to fade as they grow older but it will definitely make them both stand out from their sisters. It’s amazing to see how active they are becoming and we’re expecting them to discover the ‘best toy in the world’ any day now in the shape of their mother’s tail! Although we’re still quite a way off letting the cubs out on their own, they are gradually being introduced to the rest of the pride. At night we’re letting the other lions sleep in an area next to where the cubs are. That way they can get to recognize each other’s smells and sounds and this should make it much easier for them when it comes to finally integrating themselves into the pride.