A lion cub at the Denver Zoo, deserted by her mother, has another chance to be part of the pride as the adopted cub of a surrogate lioness.
Zoo staff announced Thursday that Asali, a 7-week-old female African lion, is in good health despite a struggle without the care of her own mother, Baby.
Asali, born Nov. 23, is Baby’s first cub. Baby started caring for her cub but stopped allowing her to nurse after three weeks.
Staff began supplemental bottle feeding, but the cub lost weight and the bond between the mother and cub didn’t stick.
“You see it periodically in carnivores – they lose interest in their young if they are distracted,” said zoo veterinarian Lynn Kramer. By Dec. 18, the cub was in critical condition.
Asali spent 11 days in an incubator and on a feeding tube. She also had pneumonia and fractured ribs, said zoo vet technician Cindy Bickel. The cub was brought home with technicians in the evening to be under constant surveillance.
“It was a restless night; I was constantly checking up on her,” said Bickel, who slept on her yoga pad next to Asali. Bickel said she knew Asali would live when the cub got up and cuddled next to her.
As she regained strength, Asali was reintroduced to the pride, where Natal, a lioness who gave birth to stillborns Dec. 23, took to her immediately.
“This was a very unique situation. We had to have two mothers deliver so close together, a healthy cub, and a willing mother,” Kramer said.
Asali now weighs 13 pounds, only a pound below average, Kramer said.
The new family will be on exhibit in early March. Until then, the pair can be seen by live video feed on zoo monitors in the Predator Ridge exhibit.
