Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia has four lion cubs

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia has put its four new lion cubs on display for the first time.

Three females and one male cub were born June 7 by Caesarean section because of complications.

The State newspaper of Columbia reported Thursday the cubs were reintroduced to their mother, Brynn, a few days later, but weren’t getting the proper nutrition from her.

So keepers have been doing hand-feedings of the cubs. Curator John Davis says the feedings started on a two-hour rotation around the clock before dropping back to every four hours.

They are on display, two at a time, behind the windows at the Bird Conservation Center. In a few weeks, they’ll be to big for that space and will be kept in backstage areas until September, when they are big enough for the lion exhibit.