White Lion Cub Born At Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

A rare white lion cub was born at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium along with two others on November 21.  There are two male cubs and one female cub, all weigh just over four pounds.  One of the male cubs is a white lion, which is rare and a first for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. According to our Genetics Department, the inheritance patterns of the white coat are not fully understood.  It is thought that a very rare recessive gene from each parent is the cause resulting in decreased pigmentation.

White lions originate from Timbavati, an area in Krueger National Park in South Africa.  All three cubs will be on display with the mother, Ahadi, and aunt, Mfisha, at the Cat Complex. The easiest way for visitors to view the cubs is by using the Elevator located at the top of the hill near the Cat Complex.

Keepers are closely monitoring the cubs to make sure everything is going well.  The first time mother is providing good maternal care and her cubs appear to be healthy and nursing. Lion cubs typically weigh about three pounds at birth and are born blind, their eyes opening within a week or two. The average litter size for African lions is two to five cubs.

This breeding is part of an SSP (Species Survival Plan) recommendation. The sub-species, krugeri, is the focus of AZA’s (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Felid Taxon Advisory Group to concentrate zoo efforts nationwide to breed lions of known lineage. There have been 43 African lion births in the last 12 months at AZA accredited zoos in North America  counting the new cubs.

The mother, Ahadi, is 6-years-old and weighs 335 pounds. The father, Mr. Big, is 15-years-old and weighs 560 pounds and is currently separated from the females and cubs.

In addition to the new cubs, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has four African lion adults, two male and two females in the Cat Complex. African lions are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). Over the last  20 years the lion population is estimated to have declined from 30% to 50%.

African lions live in sub-Sahara Africa with the majority in east and southern Africa. The last lion birth at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium was Ahadi’s  litter of five cubs in 2012.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, is ranked the Number One Zoo in the World by TripAdvisor. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Regular admission prices are $13.50 for adults (12 and older), $12.50 for seniors (65 and older) and $9 for children (3-11) through March 7, 2015.

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Video Credit: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium