THE first healthy white lion cub to be born in Spain is lively, alert, nicely rounded and full of beans, according to his carers at Mundo Park in Guillena (Sevilla province).
“His parents have been here for several years and we were starting to worry about them, because they still didn't have any offspring,” says park manager and lion carer Juan Luis Malpartida.
Mundo Park's two adult white lions had gone many years without breeding, and when they had their first cub last year, he was unwell from birth and died from hydrocephalus, or 'water on the brain'.
But the second has not only been given a clean bill of health – he is also a very robust three kilos (6.6lb) in weight, was born with his eyes wide open, and within seconds of popping out, was 'running around all over the room', said Malpartida.
His mum has been having trouble keeping up – her usual daytime sleep has been interrupted as she has to get up to feed her bundle of fun, rather than him suckling from her as she lies down.
The baby, now named The White King, is said to be feeding normally, has been successfully tested for the antibodies cubs should receive from their mothers' milk, and is being given supplementary food, in accordance with usual procedure for a healthy 17-day-old cub.
His mum is now weaning him, and the cub has been able to spend some time away from her without distress to either – in fact, he is sleeping in Juan Luis' house.
“He dozes in my lounge, with a small pen and a blanket – the pen is so he doesn't move too much and break stuff with his claws – and then when we see he's growing and developing well, we'll put him back with his parents,” the carer explains.
“During the first few days with them, play-fighting, they might injure him unintentionally, so he needs to be savvy enough to deal with it and to know to throw himself on his back in submission if he gets into hot water with them.”
ELEPHANTS being born in the middle of Spain's third-largest city is not something that happens every day. In fact, until this month, it had never happened before.
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