Five-yearold lioness, Sara, gave birth tothe litter on Sept 16
The zoo, located at Tyavarekoppa on the Shivamogga-Honnavar Road, had announced the birth of four lion cubs on Sept 16. The five-year-old lioness, Sara, gave birth to the litter on Sept 16. The lion pair, Shiva and Sara, were relocated to the Tyavarekoppa facility from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in 2025 under an official Animal Exchange Programme.
When contacted, Shivamogga Zoo director MV Amarakshara said the deaths were the result of complex biological factors rather than administrative lapses or veterinary negligence. Shivamogga: The death of four newborn Asiatic lion cubs at Shivamogga zoo has sparked controversy after zoo authorities allegedly failed to disclose the incident immediately. However, all four cubs died within hours of birth. The deaths were not disclosed at that time, leading to criticism and allegations of a cover-up. zoo authorities did not release any information about their condition Although there were suspicions that the cubs had died.
He rejected allegations that the cubs died due to a lack of immediate human intervention. Postmortem examinations revealed that the cubs died within 24 hours due to internal haemorrhaging after being dropped or stepped on by the mother while she was pacing, compounded by systemic complications caused by their inability to nurse, according to Amarakshara. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mysuru | Silver Rate in Mysuru | Bank Holidays in Mysuru | Public Holidays in Mysuru Stay updated with the latest Mysuru news.
Standard protocol is to wait several days and allow the mother to nurse the cubs, as hand-rearing is considered a last resort,” he said. The officer explained that Sara had mated during mid-gestation, leading veterinary specialists to suspect a pseudopregnancy. When she unexpectedly gave birth in mid-Sept, her maternal hormone levels were reportedly low, and her teats were not sufficiently developed, making it difficult for the newborn cubs to latch on and nurse properly. “We cannot simply pick up a newborn cub on the first day and begin hand-rearing it. In both the wild and captivity, colostrum from the mother’s milk is essential for developing immunity. Artificial cat formula does not provide the required antibodies. He denied allegations of a cover-up, stating that neonatal births are not immediately entered into official zoo inventory records. Download the TOI App.