Categories: Culture

Odisha’s Nandankanan lioness blessed with a Holi cub!

<p>
<strong>The festival of colours, Holi brought good news for Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoo as its Asiatic lioness Bijli gave birth to a cub at about 2.15 a.m. on Friday.</strong></p>
<p>
This was confirmed to India Narrative by the Deputy Director of the Zoo, Dr. Sanjeet Kumar. “Till, now Bijli has given birth to only one cub, which is unusual, as they have more.”</p>
<p>
The birth took place following 110 days of pregnancy and the cub has been sired by the male lion Samrat.</p>
<p>
In July last year, Bijli had given birth to three cubs of whom one was stillborn. Being the first time, she was not able to tend the cubs. While the male cub died after three days, Barsha, the other cub was hand-reared.</p>
<p>
<img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/Barsha2.webp" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></p>
<p>
<em>Barsha, cub of lioness Bijli who was hand-reared</em></p>
<p>
Last week on March 11, again a Friday, white colour tigress, Rupa, gave birth to one normal colour female cub and two white colour males. Kumar told India Narrative, that all the three are hand-reared as the mother couldn’t tend them.</p>
<p>
With this the number of white tigers in the Zoo has gone up to six with the overall tiger population being 29. These include 16 males and 10 females.</p>
<p>
<strong><img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/Rupa_Cubs.webp" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></strong></p>
<p>
<em>Cubs of Rupa tigress being hand-reared<br />
</em></p>
<p>
<em><br />
</em></p>

IN Bureau

Recent Posts

MEA condemns Canada’s “baseless references” against Home Minister Amit Shah

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday strongly protested against recent allegations made by…

3 hours ago

“Verification patrolling has commenced… in Demchok and Depsang”: MEA on disengagement between India and China

The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday said that verification patrolling has commenced in Demchok…

5 hours ago

“Sanctioned companies not in violation of Indian law,” says MEA after US sanctions 19 Indian companies

The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday reacted to the recent U.S. sanctions imposed on…

5 hours ago

Two terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in J-K’s Anantnag

Two terrorists were killed by security forces during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag…

7 hours ago

“Not an issue of security lapses, security forces giving befitting reply”: Rajnath Singh on J-K terror attacks

Terming the recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir as "unfortunate", Union Defence Minister Rajnath…

8 hours ago

Nasirabad: BYC holds demonstrations against enforced disappearances by Pakistan’s forces

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) held demonstrations against the ongoing enforced disappearances by the Pakistan…

11 hours ago