Werribee welcomes two African lion cubs born on Valentine’s Day
Two adorable lion cubs have been enjoying quality time with their roarsome mum after she gave birth on Valentine’s Day, making her Australian zookeepers swoon. Watch the heartwarming video
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Tiny little roars have filled the air at Werribee Open Range Zoo following the birth of two African lion cubs.
The precious cubs were born on Valentine’s Day to eight-year-old mum Asali and nine-year-old pride male Sheru.
The arrival of the adorable pair brings the Victorian zoo’s multi-generational* pride to eight lions and marks an important milestone for the vulnerable* species.
Werribee’s life sciences co-ordinator Ben Gulli described the cubs as tiny fluff balls with “round milk bellies” that have been bonding closely with their mum and showing strong early development.
“There is nothing cuter than a lion cub, and the whole team is so excited to see them become more curious every day, play fight with each other and curl up together when they nap,” Mr Gulli said. “Asali is being such a wonderful mum and is always grooming the cubs and keeping them tucked close by her side.”
After a three-and-a-half month long pregnancy, Asali went into a longer than normal labour and veterinarians had to make the call to deliver the cubs via a caesarean section* to ensure the safety of both mum and cubs.
She initially gave birth to an unusually large litter of six cubs, however, four sadly did not survive after failing to thrive. In the wild, only some cubs from larger litters usually survive into adulthood.
For the next few weeks, Asali and her cubs will remain in a private den away from public view to continue important bonding time. This seclusion of mother and cubs has been set up to reflect natural wild behaviour, where lionesses seek shelter away from other lions to protect their young until they are strong enough to join the pride.
“Providing Asali with a calm, secure environment allows her to raise her cubs as she would in nature, giving them the best possible start in life,” Mr Gulli said. “Soon the cubs will be introduced to the rest of the pride, which includes their father Sheru, grandmother Nilo and three half-siblings.”
The sex and names of the cubs will be announced in the coming weeks.
African lions are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List*, with as few as 23,000 remaining in the wild across sub-Saharan* Africa. Their numbers have declined significantly due to habitat* loss and conflict with humans. Werribee Open Range Zoo is part of the Australasian breeding and conservation program to help secure the future of the species. Zoo members and visitors can check on the zoo’s website for updates on the cubs’ first public appearance.
WATCH THE VIDEO
POLL
GLOSSARY
- multi-generational: a family from many different generations, such as grandparents, parents and kids
- vulnerable: a species at threat of extinction unless circumstances threatening it improve
- caesarean section: when a baby is delivered by surgically cutting the mother’s stomach open
- Red List: a list of species considered to be at risk of extinction
- sub-Saharan: African regions south of the Sahara Desert
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QUICK QUIZ
1. What are the names of the lion cubs’ parents?
2. How long was the mother lion’s pregnancy?
3. Why were the cubs delivered by caesarean?
4. How many cubs were there in the litter?
5. Why have the mother lion and her two cubs been moved to a private den?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. News: condensed
Identify the most important pieces of information in this article and write a condensed version of it using 50 words or less.
Draw a picture or diagram to support your condensed news story.
Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science
2. Extension
Compare your condensed news story with a classmate. Did you both include the same information or are your stories quite different? Discuss your choices and then work together to create a final condensed version of the story that you both agree tells the important parts that a reader would need or want to know.
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.