Zoo Shows Off Baby White Lions

Record-breaking number of rare cubs born on the same day
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 16, 2008 6:02 AM CDT

The world's population of just 200 white lions leaped by seven in a single day when twin lionesses gave birth in June, Der Spiegel reports, and the German safari park where they were born has now unveiled the extremely rare cubs. But while one new mom took to motherhood with zeal, the other showed little interest, forcing zookeepers to hand-raise her four cubs. White lions are a mutation of a sub-species extinct in the wild.

"We carefully observed the mothers' behavior in the first 24 hours," said the head of the safari park. "Kibo was touchingly attentive to her cubs, feeding them and cuddling them to keep them warm. We tried to give Mawensi time to get used to her new role as a mother." (More lion stories.)

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