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London Zoo Welcomes First Lion Cubs in 10 Years!

PetSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Let's call these cubs Cute One and Cute Two - the 10-week-old babes were the first of their species born at the London Zoo in 10 years!

The girl and boy lions were born to Abi, a 10-year-old lioness, and Lucifer, a 6-year-old male, and are critically endangered Asian lions. Even though nearly all non-captive lions live in sub-Saharan Africa, there's one small population - probably between 200 and 300 - in India's Gir Forest. So, with such a tiny wild population, every birth is a bundle of species-saving joy!

See more pictures of the cub cuteness when you read more.

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All You Need Is Love: Dogs Nurse Lions and Tigers to Health

PetSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:00:10 -0700

I thought we'd reached the epitome of adorable when I saw the photos of the dog that took in a pair of red pandas as her own, but this story might take the cake in the cute department. Two more pooches in China are helping to raise not only their own growing puppies, but a pair of lion cubs, and twin tiger cubs as well! Born earlier this month, the lion and tiger cubs were abandoned by their birth mother, and two hero dog mamas stepped in to help.

We've seen a lot of dogs assume the role of mother for a variety of different animals - from piglets to rabbits - so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this pairing. Check out a few more photos of the dogs and cubs in the gallery when you read more.

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Lioness Kisses Her Blind Babies!

PetSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:00:23 -0700

Can't you see your mama showering you with love? Well, while the cubs surely feel that tongue, their eyes won't open for about three weeks so the babies are technically blind. The four tiny ones were just born at Denmark's Aalborg Zoo and appeared to be pretty well protected by that watchful eye. Like any proud parent would do, of course. See the cute ones close up below!

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Awwwwfully Up Close and Personal With Two Lil Lions

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:15:24 -0800

It's another adoro lil big cat, this time a different species (Java's a leopard) but just as ready for that close-up. The four-week-old lion cub was born in Dortmund, Germany and there's actually a twin.

No joke but these two are already quite the soccer stars, perhaps in training for next year's World Cup and taking after another German animal we love to look at? I'm not sure if they're on offense or defense but see what I mean as both cubs play ball (and with mom) in the precious pictures below.

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Baby Lion's Got No Name, So Let's Call Him Cute

PetSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:00:03 -0800

What do you think this lion is saying? Helloooo everyone? No autographs, please?

I just can't decide. It's possible the lil cub simply wants to be named, as this two-and-a-half-month babe is still nameless at zoo in Rostock, Germany. No matter what moniker they settle on, he's still pretty cute in his first public presentation on Nov. 4. Check him out with a proud parent (not this gal, she's a zookeeper) in the gallery below.

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There's Three Times the Cute With Three Berber Lion Cubs

PetSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:00:37 -0700

Proud daddy, Owambo, and mom, Somali, welcomed these three cubs – aren't they precious?! The Berber lion babes are currently exploring their home at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo and are getting bigger everyday.

Now, I'd never heard of this species, but found out that they've been extinct in the wild since 1922. Zookeepers haven't gotten close enough to examine the lil ones, but think that two are male and one's a girl – try to guess for yourself in the piccys below.

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Cat and Lion Cub Are BFFs!

PetSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:00:02 -0700

Adoro overload! Arnie the house cat and Zara the lion cub are totally in love! Zara was recently rescued from the Linton Zoo by zoo director Kim Simmons, after finding the young mother lioness was having trouble taking care of her. But after six short weeks with Kim, Zara is now healthy, happy, and has experienced her first case of puppy love . . . err, I mean kitty love!It was love at first sight for Arnie when Zara was brought home, and they've been joined at the hip ever since! With daily naps and playtime, Zara and Arnie must make the most of their time together since Zara is healthy enough to be sent to her new life in an African wildlife park. I'm sure the cat will miss her, and will have to mend a broken heart after she leaves, but I gotta warn him – long distance relationships rarely work out!

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Five Fun Zoo Cams to Keep You Occupied!

PetSugar — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:00:54 -0700

I looooove webcams, and I've got some time to kill before the Fourth of July fun gets started. If you're also sitting around waiting for the food to be grilled, now's a great time to check out some live zoo action. To be fair, I've included a variety of creatures as well as three cams with baby animals . . . ummm, adoro. Go ahead, blow kisses at your screen, I'm not telling.

Lions! My current zoo cam of choice, I love to check in to see what the baby lions are up to. Nevermind that I can't understand a single word on the site except for "live" (as this zoo is all the way in Norway), my glimpses of mama lion canoodling and caring for her four cubs are too precious to pass up.
Giant Pandas! Classic cam with lots of action, check out the Giant Pandas live from the San Diego Zoo. There are seven pandas there which makes spotting at least one fairly likely. And don't forget the other cams of the Apes, Polar Bears, and Elephants afterwards.

See three more webcam suggestions when you read more.

Ferrets! I already mentioned the ferret cam because of the adorable lil one, Georgia, now visible . . . she's an endangered Black-footed Ferret. This is just one of the many great action capturers at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Beluga Whales! I couldn't forget our underwater pals. Because I'm a sucker for baby animals, I love watching Qila the Beluga and her new calf born June 10. They're both super cute (and swim a lot) so see these two (and their Sea Otters) for some splashy laughs.
Penguins! I adore penguins and the Penguins' Rock webcam has some of the most active birdies I've seen. Check out Macaroni and Gentoo penguins live from Chattanooga's Tennessee Aquarium – if you're lucky, you'll see them take a dip, too!

Adoro Baby Lion Gets Anthelmintic Therapy!

PetSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:11 -0700

Yay, it's another beautiful baby lion, this one in Germany! The mother, Shaba, gave birth to the lil guy and two other cubs on April 20. The family currently lives in Osnabrueck, Germany and are being watched over at the zoo they call home. This cub is still unnamed (I bet we can suggest some cute names in our comments below!), but it's not too soon for him to get a special anthelmintic therapy during a medical check on May 16. Sounds like a fancy term but it's actually something many of us have gotten for our household pets. Curious what it is (and to see more piccys) – just read more.

Anthelmintics are drugs that expel parasites (aka, helminths) from the body, by either stunning or killing them. Some common types that your pets – and even you . . . yuck! – can get are hookworm, pinworm, and ringworm infestations as well as other intestinal parasites.

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Between the (White) Lions

PetSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:40:30 -0700

I loooove baby animals so my jaw practically dropped when I saw these rare beauties. Check out the four white lion cubs that were recently bred and born at the Mogo Zoo. Located in Australia, it has an internationally-renowned breeding program now with a pride of 16 white lions . . . and is the only zoo in the country to exhibit the species. The four babes seen here with young keeper Noah Monor are Lika (front) and (from left) Tahba, Makulu, and Apple. White lions get their coloring – or lack thereof – due to a recessive gene. Learn what it is (hint: it's not albinism) when you read more.

Leucism is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin. The recessive gene, leucism, causes a loss of pigmentation in the lions' fur and skin but their eyes and paw pads are the same as traditionally-colored lions. These animals are so rare that they haven't been observed in the wild for over 12 years – in fact, in 1995, the global population of white lions was a mere 10!

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