Lion cubs at Beekse Bergen explore large outdoor enclosure

The four lion cubs at Beekse Bergen explored the large outdoor enclosure for the first time today. After the slide opened, one of the young cubs was the first to come out to look, the mother and other three cubs quickly followed.

The cubs were born just under two months ago in Safaripark. The three females and one male stayed under the care of mother Evy in the indoor stay for the past few weeks and, little by little, were able to explore the outside world on the terrace linked to the stable. Here they could carefully get used to grass and sand.

First litter
It is the first lion litter at Beekse Bergen in six years. The young animals came into the world on the night of Tuesday, July 11, to Wednesday, July 12. Originally, five cubs were born, but one did not make it.

The remaining four are doing very well, says head zookeeper Christian Meurrens. "They are growing like cabbage: they are full barrel. Their weight has now doubled compared to their birth weight. They have also now had two medical checks and everything looked good."

The young animals, after the gender was known, were given names. The male is named Nelson and the names of the females are Winnie, Zenani and Nandi. The father of the cubs is named Mandela and that was the inspiration to name the offspring after Nelson Mandela's family.

Vulnerable species
The lion's status in the wild is "vulnerable. It means that if the animal is not properly protected, it will most likely go extinct in the future. In Africa, more and more habitat is disappearing, so lions are increasingly being spotted in villages. With dire consequences. Poaching and disease among the animals are other common threats.

The Hilvarenbeek park, along with other European zoos, is committed to preserving the species. They do this by ensuring a healthy reserve population through management programs. The birth of the four cubs is therefore important for the future of this species. Beekse Bergen is also committed to the preservation of the species in the wild, including by financially supporting the Namibian Lion Trust through Stichting Wildlife.

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