infant mortality: Two lion cubs die shortly after birth

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Two cubs born to a lioness died at Widlife Park Zoo in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Zoo officials said that a lioness gave birth to two cubs at the Wildlife Park on Sunday, but the cubs died within a few hours after birth. They said the incident also made the visitors sad. In April 2018, the lioness was brought to the zoo and it was her first pregnancy.

When contacted, Wildlife Deputy Director Muhammad Sajjad told The Express Tribune, “The zoo officials could not take enough care of the curbs and this resulted in their deaths.” He added it was a premature delivery.

He said the postmortem report would reveal the cause of their deaths. “It was the lioness's first pregnancy. Premature delivery caused weakness in the cubs.,” the wildlife official maintained. However, a complete report of the incident was being obtained, while a report from the zoo supervisor had also been sought. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2018.