The Toronto Zoo is in the news again. After revealing that giant panda Er Shun is pregnant with twins earlier in the week, the zoo announced that Makali, a white lion, has given birth to four cubs. Two of the cubs were born on the night of Sept. 26 at 10:35 p.m. and 11:17 p.m., and the other two in the morning of Sept. 27 at 4:15 a.m. and 6:40 a.m.
A press release from the zoo said that Makali initially showed signs of pregnancy Sept. 15, after which the staff monitored her closely by introducing an all-hours schedule, according to the Star.
Makali and her cubs are currently in a maternity area of the lion habitat in the African Savanna section of the zoo. All four cubs appear healthy and are feeding well. The cubs were born weighing around 2.8 pounds (1.3 kilograms) each, and they are not expected to open their eyes for at least two weeks. The public is not allowed to view them yet, and the first 30 days will be critical, reported CBC News Toronto.
Watch a video of Makali and her cubs below.
This is the first litter of cubs for 4-year-old Makali and the father, Fintan, reported 680 News.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list of threatened species lists lions as vulnerable, with their population having declined by 30 to 50 percent in the wild over the past 20 years.
